Could Florida’s Vernell Brown III Take All-American Leap?
Despite a disappointing 4-8 record for Florida football last year, a glimmering source of potential remains: Vernell Brown III.
The Gainesville native started and saw an immense amount of action, making 40 receptions for 512 yards, leading Florida in every category except touchdowns.
Brown also recently switched his number from No. 8 to No. 1, joining a long list of memorable Gator alumni, including Ricky Pearsall, Kadarius Toney and Percy Harvin. The comparisons have been raining in, but how much validity do they actually have? Is there precedent for him to make a sophomore-year jump?
Here’s what those past Gator stars may suggest.
One notable name in that discussion is Harvin, who helped UF win the national championship in his freshman year while tallying 855 yards from scrimmage and scoring five touchdowns.
Harvin exploded in his sophomore year, doubling his total across the board, grabbing 10 touchdowns and gaining 1,622 yards in becoming a multifaceted star out of the backfield. He earned unanimous All-American honors.
Brown has checked one box on the path to imitate Harvin’s Florida greatness, earning freshman All-SEC honors as a wide receiver, all-purpose and return specialist, similar to the 2000s star. Aiming to match Harvin’s sophomore season may be tall task, but some other past Florida standouts might provide a more applicable charting line.
Toney had limited reps his freshman year, appearing in eight games in 2017. His hard work earned him more reps in his sophomore year, during which he contributed on the ground and through the air, totaling 500 yards from scrimmage. Toney’s breakout didn’t even come until his senior year, when he caught 70 balls for 984 yards.
Antonio Callaway is another notable example of a Gator who made an exponential sophomore leap. Callaway went from 678 yards as a freshman in 2015 to 721 yards as a sophomore in 2016, before a scandal caused him to sit out the 2017 season. The talent was undeniable, so when the time came, the Cleveland Browns called in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft to sign Callaway.
A common pattern between all of the above is that Florida believed in them early, giving them the opportunity to make an impact on the ground and through the air. Every time one of these athletes had the ball in their hands — which was frequent in the Gators’ offense — defenders knew that one mistake could cost them six points.
And if Brown’s one-handed catch in Florida’s season opener against LIU wasn’t already telling, then the potential sophomore leap would make him an undeniable name in Gainesville and beyond.
Category: College Football, Football, Gators Football
