GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Vernell Brown III turned one huge afternoon into a place in Florida Gators history, and the SEC took notice.
After his record-setting showing in Florida’s 52-3 win over Campbell, Brown was selected as the SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week. The receiver piled up 173 punt return yards, a new program mark, and scored twice in the second quarter on back-to-back returns.
He broke the game open with a 63-yard punt return touchdown, becoming the first Gator to take one back since Kadarius Toney in 2020. Then he did it again, ripping off a 70-yarder to become the first Florida player to house two punt returns in the same game since Jacquez Green in 1996.
Brown would have finished with 219 return yards - which would rank second in SEC history - if not for a penalty that wiped out his third return.
“To be able to be in the record book and have something to look back on, hopefully one of the many things to look back on and say, 'Yeah, I did that,'” said Brown III, a legacy player. “Have your name cemented in the record books, amazing in the legacy to have my father, grandfather, other family members come before me and obviously do their job. Me to continue the legacy while setting a new standard hopefully for the ones that come behind me is a blessing.”
Brown’s day wasn’t limited to special teams. He also caught three passes for 43 yards and another touchdown, making him the first UF receiver to score three touchdowns in a game since 2020.
Through two games, he leads the Gators with nine catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns. His four total touchdowns responsible for are third on the team behind quarterback Aaron Philo, who has seven total scores - five passing and two rushing - and running back Jadan Baugh, who has five rushing touchdowns.
Brown’s early-season production fits the mindset he’s carried into 2026. Even after leading Florida in receptions with 40 and receiving yards with 512 as a true freshman, he finished the 2025 season without a touchdown.
“I put in the work. I've been playing the game since I was five.
Like I said, the game doesn't change. I know what I'm capable of doing,” Brown III said.
“I know anytime I get the ball, I feel like I can score.”
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Floridas SEC Opener Just Got More Concerning For This Gators Playmaker
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A return for Auburn would obviously help, but the more realistic question is whether Singleton can be ready to contribute without being rushed. Florida is at least keeping alive the possibility that he could be back for the Ole Miss game on Sept. 26, which gives the Gators a little more time to manage the situation. For now, though, his availability is one of the more notable injury watch items hanging over the weekend. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, the bigger question is whether either will actually be available when Florida lines up against Auburn. Sumrall called both questionable, which leaves the Gators waiting on two players who could affect the game in very different ways, especially Singleton against the school he just left. For a Florida team trying to sort out its lineup late in the week, the uncertainty is enough to keep this matchup feeling a little more tense than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Vernell Brown III Is Giving Florida A Dangerous New Weapon
Vernell Brown III gave Florida a jolt in Week 2 against Campbell, and not just because the Gators were able to cash in on a lopsided win. The freshman showed up in every phase he touched, turning two punt returns into touchdowns while also adding three catches for 43 yards and another score, a reminder that his value goes well beyond the return game.
What makes the performance more intriguing for Florida is the process behind it. Special teams coach Jon Sumrall pointed to analyst Greg McMahons new punt return strategy as part of the setup that helped Brown break loose, and Browns arrival in Gainesville already carried a bigger meaning, tied to his family legacy and the staffs vision for how he could be used. If this was the first glimpse of what that plan can look like, the Gators may have found a dangerous new weapon. [Read more 🡒]