3 Freshman to Keep an Eye on in Gators' Season Opener

Between the opponent it's facing and injury concerns, multiple true freshmen could have major impacts for the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Vernell Brown III has garnered significant praise from head coach Billy Napier entering his freshman season. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The 15th-ranked Florida Gators are set to open the 2025 season on Saturday with FCS-level Long Island travelling to The Swamp.

With Florida being heavy favorites, combined with multiple injury concerns, there are plenty of young players who could make an impact on Saturday.

With that said, here are three true freshmen to keep an eye on during Saturday's game. Kickoff between the Gators and the Sharks is at 7 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on SEC Network+.

WR Vernell Brown III

Vernell Brown III is poised to make an impact in his first season with the Florida Gators. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

The former five-star has quickly risen in the Gators' receiver rotation, even earning reps with the starters on some occasions throughout spring and fall camp. With fellow five-star Dallas Wilson still nursing a lower-body injury that may keep him out on Saturday (Napier declined to comment on his status), Brown III is expected to receive many snaps on Saturday.

“I'd say he's a little ahead of schedule," head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday of the freshman, who has been working in the slot and at punt returner. "I think he's pretty smart, pretty mature, obviously the pedigree with the dad (former Gator Vernell Brown Jr.), the environment, the competitive environment, if you do your homework on the family. And then he's just run a ton of routes in his life."

Edge Jayden Woods

Florida Gators freshman edge rusher Jayden Woods has been one of the most impressive players during the offseason. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

Woods has arguably had the best offseason of every newcomer on the team. Working at the Jack linebacker position behind George Gumbs Jr. and with LJ McCray, Woods garnered praise as a weight room workhorse.

With McCray's status for Saturday's game also uncertain due to injury, Woods will receive plenty of snaps during his first collegiate game.

"Jayden Woods is a unicorn, man. They don't make them like that," Napier said. "... I mean, just phenomenal, and just a different level of focus and maturity and physically. And, listen, he came from a very well coached high school team. You know? The detail. That was one of the things that impressed me, watching it in the evaluation process, with the technique that he played with on the edge, but also on the second level as a stack backer. Yeah, the mindset is different. He's got incredible focus and discipline. I think all our players will tell you the same thing. He's got a bright future in front of him."

DB Lagonza Hayward

Defensive back Lagonza Hayward has been training at both safety and nickel corner since joining the Florida Gators. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Working at both safety and nickel corner, Hayward has made an impact by providing depth behind junior starting safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton and third-year nickel corners (STAR) Sharif Denson and Aaron Gates.

Midway through fall camp, Napier emphasized the need for one of the backup defensive backs, namely Hayward, Micheal Caraway Jr. or Drake Stubbs to emerge as a backup. Hayward appears to be the guy.

"2 (Hayward's jersey number) is on his way. I try to push him every day, but personally, I feel like he's way ahead of where I was when I first got here, as far as, like me playing STAR," Denson said. "He's already a bigger body, so it's just gonna be just the minute details because STAR is, like, mentally, it's a little bit challenging. So he's just a freshman, so he gonna get it down, but he's definitely on the way."