Vernell Brown III's Electric Gators Debut Full of Firsts

The Florida Gators freshman's debut was full of firsts that put him among some Gators greats

The Gators' true freshmen debut was significant to the history books | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Freshman wide receiver Vernell Brown III exploded onto the scene on Saturday in the Florida Gators' home opener. His big night was full of firsts, including some that put him in the company of some program greats. 

For starters (no pun intended), he was the first true freshman to start a season opener since offensive Jawaan Taylor in 2016. He’s also the third true freshman wide receiver to start a season opener in program history. The others are Percy Harvin in 2006 and Antonio Callaway in 2015. 

That puts him in the company of future NFL players who have a combined two Super Bowls, a national championship and three First Team All-Americans. So far, so good.

To be in that company so early is a testament to not just his athletic ability but his desire to step into a leadership role as early as possible. 

“He's obviously skilled, but I think more importantly, he's got a certain maturity level, and you could see tonight it's not too big for him,” head coach Billy Napier said. “He's comfortable in that setting, right? So he's a playmaker. 

“He's been doing that very consistent, very dependable, know what you're going to get, and he's an even better person, teammate. He's going to be a great leader, and he's a guy that really, really cares about the University of Florida, and I think that makes it special for him. You can see he's comfortable out there.”

His mentality impressed the veterans on the staff during the offseason, but now he gets to show it when the games matter. 

Another of those firsts that came in the season opener includes his first addition to the highlight reel. His one-handed diving play had fans erupting. However, while his teammates were excited by the play, they weren’t too surprised. 

“He's been doing it all fall camp, all spring ball, so I'm just excited for him to step on the stage,” quarterback DJ Lagway said. “He did what he was going to do. I already knew he was going to do that. He's a baller.”  

And of course, since we get to the more basic stuff as well, he had his first targets, first receiving yards and catches. However, he hasn’t scored his first touchdown yet. There were five receiving touchdowns in the game, and he had none of them. 

While he’s not someone who needs this incentive - far from it - he’s got a reason to fight to get open against USF on Saturday. It’s the one part of the field he’s yet to corral a pass. That will come soon enough. 

Even if he hasn’t checked every box, he did nearly everything he could to make a strong first impression. Being a wide receiver who joins the ranks of firsts in other ways as the season goes on might become a common occurrence.