One of the top pass catchers in the 2025 recruiting cycle, [autotag]Vernell Brown III[/autotag], has committed to the University of Florida over fellow finalists Florida State, Miami and Ohio State on Sunday.
Although he’s a legacy recruit, academics and a strong development program at his position made Florida the pick for Brown.
“(Florida) just showed me what they had to offer outside of all of the whole recruiting facade,” Brown said in an interview with Swamp247.
“All four of the schools I had, they were good schools. Ultimately it came down to where I wanted to go, and that’s how I decided. That legacy approach, they used it a little more towards the end, but they never really used it through the process because they knew the who legacy piece does not fascinate me at all.”
At 5-foot-10.5-inches, Brown is your [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag], [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] type receiver compared to a larger, more over-the-top style pass catcher. It’s a position that [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has seen consistent success in developing at Florida.
Of course, Napier enters Year 3 in Gainesville on the hot seat. By the time Brown gets to campus, Napier will need his guys to step up or the coaching shuffle cycle begins once again. That’s not something that scares the Gators’ newest commit.
“… we’re signing good classes and building to get better,” Brown said. “They’re making me understand that if you go here, you have to be up for the challenge. You have to be part of that crew to get Florida back to where it’s traditionally been. I think their transparency, acknowledging it, and saying their plan to get it fixed has definitely helped.”
Recruiting Summary
A consensus four-star receiver who earns five-star status in some compsites, Brown is No. 25 nationally on the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking puts him at No. 33 overall, but both services agree he is the sixth-best receiver in the class of 2025.
Brown is now Florida’s highest-ranked commit and solidifies a strong corps of incoming pass catchers. West Broward High receiver Joshua Moore and a pair of three-star tight ends are also under commitment.
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