Florida sophomore Vernell Brown III didn’t just have a big day against Campbell. He put his name all over the Florida record book and walked away with SEC recognition to match.
On Monday, the Southeastern Conference named Brown its co-Special Teams Player of the Week after his explosive showing in UF’s 52-3 win. He shares the honor with South Carolina’s Vicari Swain.
Brown’s biggest damage came on punt returns. He took two punts back for touchdowns in the second quarter, going 64 yards on one and 70 on the other. That made him the first Gator to return two punts for scores in the same game since Jacquez Green did it against Kentucky in 1996.
By the end of the afternoon, Brown had piled up 173 punt return yards, breaking Brandon James’ program record of 155, which had stood since 2007 against Western Carolina.
He added to the stat sheet as a receiver, too, finishing with 43 receiving yards and a touchdown. That made him the first Florida receiver since Kadarius Toney in 2020 to combine for three scores in a game.
Brown has been central to Florida’s 2-0 start, the program’s first 2-0 opening in five years. Through two games, he leads the Gators with nine receptions, 160 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
After the game, Brown talked about what his performance meant to him and tied it back to his family’s history with the program.
“The legacy to have my father, grandfather, other family members come before me and obviously do their job,” Brown III said. “To continue the legacy while setting a new standard hopefully for the ones that come behind me is a blessing.”
Florida now turns to its SEC opener at Auburn on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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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 🡒]