Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III is a gifted player on the field, but he made an impact on the new coaching staff with the way he approaches the work off the field. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Viral Catch, Vocal Leader: VB3 Has Grown Into Gators' Tone-Setter
Friday, March 20, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In early January, the same week that Gators receiver Vernell Brown III shook off the holiday break and set eyes on his sophomore season, two key participants in Brown's signature moment as a freshman started anew, too.
Former UF quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw the pass to Brown, enrolled at Baylor. Jalen Bell, a Florida native who played at Kissimmee Osceola and defended Brown in their matchups when Brown starred at Orlando Jones, transferred from Long Island to Delaware.
Meanwhile, Brown stayed where he wanted to be, a place he had considered home since he was old enough to know where he was.
As Brown shared thoughts on his first season and what he envisioned ahead, his spectacular one-handed catch in the first game of his college career was unavoidable.
In the season opener against Long Island, on a deep throw from Lagway with Bell hopelessly in pursuit, Brown turned and backpedaled as the ball sailed high. Using his natural athleticism and knack for making difficult catches look easy, Brown snatched the ball from the air with his gloved right hand, leaving the disbelief on Bell's face for cameras to capture.
Instant classic, instant virality.
"That was crazy,'' Brown said. "I know it was a good catch, but just what that catch did was crazy. I mean, I have made a lot of good catches, but I think when you just look at beyond the catch, what the catch did and how it made an impact, I'll definitely say that was the best one."
Vernell Brown III became an instant fan favorite at The Swamp as a true freshman. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
In an instant, Brown's stature as one of the top freshmen in the country took on additional life. Suddenly, he went from a talented newcomer with a promising future to a roster headliner.
Brown's rookie season was one of highs and lows for a team that opened the season ranked in the AP Top 25 but finished 4-8, costing former head coach Billy Napier his job. Brown persevered to lead the team with 40 catches and 512 yards, and injected life on special teams as a dynamic punt return (11.7 yards per return) until teams started kicking away from him as the season progressed.
"He could be an elite special-teams player wherever we put him,'' said Johnathan Galante, who coaches Florida's special teams. "He could be a great gunner. He could be a great returner. He already is a good returner. His punt-block stuff was impressive [at a recent practice]."
Still, as Brown reflected on what he accomplished as a true freshman, he said there was so much more he felt he could have done. As productive as Brown was a season ago, he has yet to score his first career touchdown.
"I really want to get into the offense and learn it, become a more knowledgeable football player,'' Brown said. "And be more consistent. I had a few drops. That's something I can control. It's all about focus."
Brown has spent countless non-mandatory hours in the Heavener Training Center since last season to improve his ball skills after dropping seven passes on 58 targets, using the JUGS machine, bouncing tennis balls and other exercises to enhance hand-eye coordination.
It didn't take long for the new coaching staff to notice that Brown is wired differently than many in the age of limited attention spans and instant gratification.
"He's got what feels like some wisdom beyond his age,'' head coach Jon Sumrall said. "He's very comfortable in his own skin. It's easy to be confident when you work really hard. He's clearly talented, but when you don't just try to survive off your talent, but you put in a lot of work to your craft … everything he does he tries to do to the absolute best of his ability."
The new offensive staff had studied film of the young talent and held conversations in the weeks before the Gators opened spring camp earlier this month, and each coach recognized they were dealing with a player with traits coaches can't teach.
Players either have them or they don't.
Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and receivers coaches Trent McKnight, the pass-game coordinator and inside receivers coach, and Marcus Davis, who tutors the outside receivers, began to notice the way 5-foot-11, 177-pound Brown loomed much larger than his frame.
None had actually seen Brown's birth certificate to verify he was a 19-year-old, but they understood he had a different aura than most his age.
"He's got a pro mindset right now,'' McKnight said.
Faulkner is a football junkie who grew up as an undersized quarterback in a run-first offense in high school and transformed into a record-setting passer at Valdosta State. He has spent more hours than he can count in the film room as a player and coach, always in search of an edge or ounce of improvement that could make a difference.
Faulkner sees Brown as a kindred spirit.
"You better be on your Ps and Qs as a coach because he knows it as good as those guys,'' Faulkner said. "He's going to ask questions, and sometimes I think he asks questions that he may already know the answer to just to make sure you said the same thing.
"So, I kind of like it."
The Browns: Vernell Brown Sr., left, Vernell Brown III, center, and Vernell Brown Jr., right. (Photo: UAA Communications)
As the Gators launch a new era under Sumrall in 2026, Brown — VB or VB3 to those who know him best — is multitasking as a team leader and highly motivated competitor who doesn't want to be average or good.
Brown is chasing greatness and is willing to pay the price. Davis has seen enough to drop a Percy Harvin comparison.
In the team's offseason conditioning program, "The Gauntlet," Brown took on all comers in the six-station strength-and-cardio course, which tests players with competitive drills against teammates.
He was the only player who didn't lose, raising the bar for his teammates.
"VB3 was the very first player to really start being a vocal leader, and you could tell that he's been here,'' said Rusty Whitt, the team's director of performance. "He's been through it. He wants improvement. It's just a different level of maturity that you hope everybody can strive towards."
Brown is a UF legacy player following in the footsteps of his father, former Gators defensive back Vernell Brown Jr., a captain on Urban Meyer's first UF team in 2005, and his grandfather, Vernell Brown Sr., who played for the Gators in the 1980s.
His upside as a player is higher. His personality is all-Brown.
"It's amazing,'' said defensive assistant Bam Hardmon, a former Gators linebacker and teammate of Brown's dad. "He looks just like the one I played with. A lot of the same mannerisms and everything, but he's a really good player. And I'm sure the Vernell Brown that I played with actually pushes him to be much better than what he was, which is shown just from his confidence, his approach." Vernell Brown III, when he was a youth football player. (Photo: Courtesy of Brown family)
Brown has already stood out in camp, which resumes next week when the Gators return from spring break.
He has a shorter haircut and a new number – switching from No. 8 to No. 1 in the offseason – to start the new year with a fresh look.
But Brown understands there is only one way to get where he wants to go.
"It's all about putting that work in,'' he said. "You get in what you put out. The only thing the process guarantees you is the opportunity."
Brown is part of a strong receiving corps that features fellow sophomore Dallas Wilson and newcomer Eric Singleton Jr., a transfer from Auburn. The trio has the potential to be one of the most dangerous in the country.
Brown will undoubtedly have an important role in the new offense.
"He's a guy who can play three spots in our offense,'' McKnight said. "He can play inside or outside."
Added Faulkner: "He's a natural-born leader. He's not afraid to step out front, lead the guys. He knows the offense right now, probably as good as any of the new coaches. So, he's a joy to be around, and I like the fact that he puts in the work.
"He's truly about it. And when you get a bunch of guys like that doing that, you got a chance."
Brown's all-in approach resonates with coaches and players. Sumrall, Faulkner and Co. understand now much better why it was so important to keep Brown around when they first took over.
VB3 is more than a playmaker. He is a tone-setter.
"Vernell, he always stands up,'' cornerback Dijon Johnson said. "He has always been different since he first pulled up to campus."
It took one game and one catch for Brown to prove it.
