Florida’s patience with Vernell Brown III’s injury saga has worn thin, but Jon Sumrall made it clear Monday that the sophomore receiver’s absence isn’t about effort.
With questions swirling again about Brown’s status, Sumrall pushed back on the idea that the wideout hasn’t been fighting to get back. The Florida coach said Brown is still working through a real knee injury and that the setback last week pushed back any return plans.
“He wants to play. He’s doing everything he can to play.
He’s pissed off he can’t play, and he’s doing everything in his power to play. It’s a real injury that we thought we were on the other side of that he had a setback last week.
It sucks. It freakin’ sucks for him.
It sucks for the team because he helps our team be better. He wants to play.
He’s doing everythign in his power to play football. I don’t know what else to say.”
Brown has been out since late September, when he injured his knee in the first half of Florida’s blowout win over Ole Miss on Sept. 26. He missed the entire month of October and sat out four games as the Gators went 1-3.
His last appearance came during Florida’s 4-0 start, a stretch that marked the high point of Sumrall’s first season in Gainesville. Brown was a major part of that early surge, finishing September with 17 catches for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 2 punt returns for touchdowns.
Since then, the Gators have repeatedly had to wait on his status week after week, only to see him ruled out in the end. That happened again in the buildup to the Georgia game, when his return seemed close before he ended up missing Week 9 in Atlanta.
Now the wait stretches into November. No.
25 Florida, 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC, returns Saturday night against unranked Oklahoma at The Swamp, with kickoff set for 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Brown’s availability will once again be one of the biggest questions hanging over the Gators.
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Florida Is Still Waiting On Vernell Brown III For One Reason
Floridas receiving room has had to keep moving without Vernell Brown III, and the wait has stretched longer than the Gators likely hoped. Brown has now missed four games after a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, and coach Jon Sumrall said the sophomore had a non-surgical procedure as part of the process.
Even with the uncertainty, Brown has stayed around the program as a vocal presence and continues working his way back. The issue now is less about whether he still matters to Florida and more about when, or even if, the Gators will get him back this season. [Read more 🡒]