Vernell Brown lll Named to National Award Midseason Watchlist
Gators wide receiver Vernell Brown III was just named to the Jet Award midseason watchlist despite missing the last two games because of injury.
The award goes to the top return specialist in college football.
This nomination comes almost a month after Brown III was named SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Campbell. The sophomore returned four punts, two of those for touchdowns.
Brown III etched his name in Gator history by becoming the second player alongside Jacquez Green to return two punts for touchdowns in a game.
His longest punt return touchdown totaled 70 yards, contributing to Florida’s 52-3 win against the Fighting Camels.. Against Auburn, Brown III only had one punt return for 16 yards and he recorded no returns against Ole Miss.
The past two games against Missouri and South Carolina, Brown III has been out with a knee injury. Despite this, he was named to an award watchlist that no Gator has won. Brown, who has returned to practice, is again listed as questionable for Saturday’s game at Texas.
In 2024, Chimere Dike was named to the midseason watchlist but was beaten by Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen.
Dike earned himself a spot on this list by returning eight punts for 157 yards, averaging 19.6 yards per carry. On the other hand, Brown lll has returned five punts for 189 yards, averaging 37.8 yards per carry.
This year’s field is stacked with contenders like Javon Tracy from Minnesota who leads the nation in punt returns with 17 and yards with 299. Tracy has played in every game so far, giving him an advantage over Brown III.
With his hopeful return against Texas, Brown III has a chance to finish out the season strong and earn himself a finalist position. However, the winner won’t be announced until the spring at the Jet Award Gala, whose foundation raises money to provide scholarships to students majoring in the trades at Metro Community College and Iowa Western Community College.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Football
