Ohio State and Brian Hartline have lost out on one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2025 class, as Orlando (Fla.) Jones five-star Vernell Brown III (5-11, 170) announced his commitment to Florida over the Buckeyes, Miami and Florida State on Sunday.
Brown, the nation’s 25th-best overall prospect and sixth-best wide receiver in the class, was projected to pledge with the Gators, with expert recruiters giving Florida a 88.9 percent chance to land him. The five-star made it known that he had strong interest in staying within his home state to play college football, but he still showed an inclination to Hartline and the Buckeyes — the only non-Florida school in his final four — throughout the recruitment process, even going on an official visit to Ohio State during the first weekend of June which he said was an eye-opening experience.
“I really loved everything about it,” Brown told Eleven Warriors on June 2. “I can say that for both me and my family. OSU has done a great job showing me and my family why they are the program they are and show the way they do things. It’s a really good program and it really opened my eyes on this (official visit).”
But despite this interest, Brown still chose to stay in the Sunshine State and pledge to a Gators’ program that has deep-rooted connections to his family. Brown’s father, Vernell Brown Jr., was a cornerback for Florida from 2001-05 and also served as a senior director of student-athlete development and alumni relations from 2018-23. His grandfather, Vernell Brown Sr., also played for the Gators as a defensive back from 1982-85, while Brown’s uncle, Vincent Brown, played running back at Florida under Urban Meyer in the late 2000s.
Brown’s commitment is a significant get for a Florida program looking to return to national relevance under head coach Billy Napier. It is the program’s first five-star pledge in the 2025 class, which currently ranks 62nd in the nation with a score of 170.11.
As for Ohio State, Brown’s commitment would’ve added to an already loaded 2025 class that ranks No. 1 in the nation with four five-star commits and 16 four-star pledges for a total team score of 310.87.
The pledge would have also been the first five-star wide receiver in a class that already includes Wayne (N.J.) Depaul Catholic four-star De’Zie Jones (6-0, 180), Mansfield (Ohio) Ontario three-star Bodpegn Miller (6-3, 180) and Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic four-star Quincy Porter (6-3, 190). Instead, the Buckeyes will now pivot to their other top receiver targets, with Mission Viejo, Calif., four-star Phillip Bell (6-2, 195) — who is expected to choose between Ohio State and USC later this summer — and Pickerington North three-star Preston Bowman likely leading that list.
