Is Ohio State in the lead for 2025 'playmaker' wide receiver Vernell Brown III?
Although not the prototypical big-bodied wide receiver, Vernell Brown III of Jones High School in Orlando, Florida, has a rather long offer list.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound four-star pass catcher is the No. 71 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, per the 247Sports’ composite rankings. And he has caught the attention of everyone from in-state powers Florida, Florida State and Miami, to Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio State.
The first time he touched a football at age five, Brown recalled, he scored an 80-yard touchdown. So to him, it was a matter of if, not when, he would follow in the footsteps of his father Vernell Brown Jr., who played cornerback for Florida from 2001-05.
“At the end of the day, I’m a playmaker,” Vernell Brown III told The Dispatch.
He demonstrated that during his junior season, when he tallied 1,404 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. He is a vertical threat, but there is more to his game than that.
2023 Season Stats
Receiving Yards: 1,404 yards
Total TDs: 16 (12 Receiving)
Total All-Purpose Yards: 2,000+
Junior Season Highlights ⬇️https://t.co/eS8qrvGkmC@CoachVB_ESM @JonesHSFootball @KiddRyno_Rivals @ZBlostein247 @Andrew_Ivins @RivalsJohnson @BHoward_11 @SWiltfong247…— Vernell "Trey" Brown III1️⃣™️ (@VB3_9) December 31, 2023
“He has the ability to really make people miss,” Vernell Brown Jr. said. “I think that’s what separates him not just from a lot of the guys at Ohio State, but really guys around the country. You just don’t find a lot of guys who could play and do those things from the slot – making guys miss inside.
“When you put the ball in (his) hand, there’s no telling what can happen.”
Ohio State made Brown an offer after a June 2023 summer recruiting camp in Columbus. Brown believes he impressed Buckeyes wide receivers coach Brian Hartline with his shiftiness, a trait they both share.
“He’s just a technician,” Brown said. “Obviously, he played in the league a long time and he was a technician as well. So just him teaching people ... the technique aspect of it, I think that’s what really separates his room from everywhere else in the country.”
Where Ohio State stands with 2025 WR Vernell Brown III
After the Buckeyes lost a commitment from 2025 four-star receiver Jayvan Boggs, the room added four-star De’zie Jones. Ohio State has also been tied to five-star 2025 receiver Jaime Ffrench and LSU commit Dakorien Moore, also a five-star prospect.
That doesn't deter Brown.
"Wherever I go, I don’t want anything given to me," Brown said. "And I’m going to have to compete no matter where I decide to go."
Many recruiting analysts view Brown as an inevitable member of Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class, but Brown insists there is “no front runner right now.”
His father, Vernell Brown Jr., has taught him the value of keeping his options open, having gone through the process himself.
“Just because I played at Florida, worked at Florida doesn’t mean you have to go to Florida,” Vernell Brown Jr. said. “This will be his decision. It’s not my decision. I just want to be a supportive father, obviously make sure he understands all the pros and the cons to every opportunity that he has and then allow him to make the decision.”
It’s a decision Vernell Brown III always knew he would have to make, one he said that became a reality when he got his first offer from Michigan, a program he’s already calling the “Team Up North.”
With official visits looming, Brown may not know for sure what school he will choose. But he already knows what player that school is getting.
“So to sum it up, I would describe me as a game changer,” Brown said.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Where Ohio State football stands with 2025 4-star WR Vernell Brown III
