Florida WR Vernell Brown III has ‘catch of the year’ contender in Week 1
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Vernell Brown III wasted absolutely no time endearing himself to Florida fans.
The 5-star freshman wide receiver produced one of the highlights of Week 1 across all of college football Saturday night when he hauled in a remarkable 1-handed grab while falling down. With a little over a minute to play in the first half against Long Island, Brown brought in a second-and-6 pass for 41 yards.
“That is gonna be the catch that is gonna put Vernell Brown on the college football map in Week 1,” the commentary crew said on the broadcast.
No kidding.
Not only does the catch figure to put Brown on the radar for fans outside of Gainesville, it might be a contender for “catch of the year.” Even in a generation of receivers that grew up watching Odell Beckham Jr. make the unthinkable happen, only a few are able to actually replicate some of the catches Beckham pulled off.
Brown’s third snag of his debut would certainly qualify.
Florida scored 3 plays later when DJ Lagway fired to J. Michael Sturdivant for an 8-yard touchdown.
In his debut with the Gators, Brown brought in 3 receptions for 71 yards in the first half, helping the Gators to a 38-0 lead.
Brown is a 5-foot-11 true freshman receiver. An Orlando (Fla.) Jones product, he signed with the Gators as a 5-star recruit out of the 2025 class. He was the sixth-ranked receiver in the 247 Composite and the 30th-ranked prospect, regardless of position.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
