Coming out of the Florida spring game, all the positive headlines for the Gators surrounded wide receiver Dallas Wilson. The freshman from Tampa exploded for almost 200 yards receiving and seemingly gave Florida the gamebreaker it needed to navigate its 2025 schedule.
But then Wilson got hurt during Florida's fall camp, and in his place during the opener against LIU was a fellow freshman with a profile even higher than Wilson's that the rest of America is just now catching up to.
Vernell Brown III is an instant game-changer for Florida
Just by trotting onto the field as a starter, Vernell Brown III became just the third true freshman wide receiver in Florida Gators history to start in a season opener.