Florida football target Vernell Brown III has now achieved five-star prospect status.
If you’ve checked out the team rankings for the 2025 recruiting class, the outlook for Florida Football isn’t great. The Gators are currently at the bottom of the SEC with just seven commitments as July approaches.
However, Florida is in a strong position to secure several top prospects, and one of their key targets has recently seen a significant boost in his ranking.
Florida Football: Star Gazing
We’ve covered Vernell Brown III several times this year. The son of Vernell Brown Jr., a standout Gators cornerback from 2001 to 2005, Brown III started 2024 as a fringe top-300 prospect, ranked 295th in the 247 Composite rankings as of February.
Typically, changes in player rankings during the offseason, when no actual games are being played, are often seen as questionable. For instance, Will Griffin’s ranking dropped nearly 50 spots by Rivals shortly after his commitment to the Gators. However, we previously noted in February that Brown III was ranked too low considering his film, which showed he was nearly impossible for opponents to tackle once he was in open space.
The recruiting industry seems to have recognized Brown III’s talent, as he has risen to 39th in the 247 Composite rankings and 32nd in the On3 Industry Ranking, which classifies him as a five-star prospect based on industry evaluations.
Florida appears to be in a strong position to land the Orlando native. On3 has five predictions for Brown III to join the Gators, including from national analyst Steve Wiltfong. Additionally, 247 has received crystal ball projections from Zach Blostein and Blake Alderman in the past month.
If Brown III commits to Florida, it could provide a significant boost to the 2025 class and improve their position in the team rankings.
