Florida lands 4-star WR and son of former Gators captain

The Florida Gators are getting a legacy recruit to come to Gainesville.

On3's Hayes Fawcett broke the news on X that in-state wide receiver Vernell Brown III had chosen the Gators. Other Florida programs like the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles tried to pursue him, but he opted to play where his father did.

Brown is a 4-star receiver and widely considered one of the top 50 players in the country for the class of 2025. He's not the biggest receiver at 5-foot-10 and 173 pounds, but brings an electric play style when on the field.

"Dynamic athlete with elite short-area quickness and explosive movement patterns," 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. "Has impacted the game in all three phases at the prep level and impressed at times as a defensive back, but ceiling appears to be highest as a slot receiver that can generate chunk plays with his run-after-catch capabilities."

Brown is the son of longtime Gators cornerback Vernell Brown Jr., who most recently served at Florida as a Senior Director of Student-Athlete Development. He had worked with the program for six seasons, starting in 2018. Prior to working with the Gators, Brown was a team captain who played with the team from 2001 through 2005.

The Gators haven't had the strongest recruiting class for 2025. However, the commitment of Brown makes him their top-ranked recruit in the class, ahead of the likes of defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins and wide receiver Joshua Moore .

Billy Napier is hoping that more in-state recruits follow suit after Brown's commitment.