5-Star WR Vernell Brown III Commits to Florida Over Ohio State, FSU, Miami

The Florida Gators earned a much-needed recruiting win on Sunday.

Wide receiver Vernell Brown III—who 247Sports' composite rankings ranks as a 5-star prospect and the No. 25 overall player and No. 6 wide receiver in the class of 2025—chose the Gators over Ohio State, Florida State and Miami, per Manny Navarro of The Athletic.

There were family ties when it came to Florida, as Brown's father, Vernell Jr., played cornerback for the Gators. He also previously worked as the program's senior director of player development.

"Everybody was supportive of the decision, but they were going to support me wherever I went," Brown said, per John Garcia Jr. of Rivals. "With their ties to the University, I would assume it hit a little different for them.

"But this was my process and it had nothing to do with what they did before. Ultimately, I'm going to Florida because that's where I wanted to go. To pick one was extremely hard, but there is a relief. You pick one and you roll with it."

That is welcome news for Florida, which is just 62nd in the country in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

That ranking places them between Louisville and Illinois, which are not exactly the types of programs the Gators need to be living around if they are going to challenge the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas in the loaded SEC.

Perhaps Brown's commitment will give them some recruiting momentum to build on with plenty of time remaining before the class is finalized.

He is also someone who is talented enough to see the field right away with game-changing speed and the ability to thrive in the slot. If he capitalizes on that potential and overall talent, this will be a critical recruiting win for Florida for years to come.