Vernell Brown III earns his place among a special group of freshmen in the SEC

Vernell Brown III can call himself a 'Triple Crown' winner, and now he has the hardware to prove it.

The rising sophomore wide receiver received his Freshman All-SEC awards for wide receiver, all-purpose and return specialist, becoming the first Gator to win three conference freshman awards and just the fifth in SEC history.

That's a solid dad flex right there.

Vernell Brown III collects his All-SEC Freshman hardware

Brown had a standout first year in Gainesville with 40 catches for 512 yards, leading the Gators in both categories. He also proved to be a difference maker in the return game, averaging 12.6 yards on punt returns. Brown ranked fifth in the nation among true freshmen with 773 all-purpose yards.

He will now be expected to make a big jump as a sophomore. Brown and former five-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson are the two primary young building blocks in the pass game. Both players are explosive playmakers and if they can find early chemistry with projected starting quarterback Aaron Philo, the Gators could have one of the more exciting offenses in the SEC.

Florida inside receivers coach Trent McKnight has given early hints that Brown will be an active player in the offense and could line up all over the field.

“He can play inside, outside. He can play F, Z or X, and then, 10 personnel, can get into some of the Y stuff," McKnight said of Brown. "He's wanting to get on the playbook. He's wanting to learn. He's wanting to get better. So, for a young guy, been really impressed with the maturity and also the leadership that he has.”

The all-purpose athlete was a staple for Gators football when Urban Meyer was the head coach, and it's nice to see that offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner isn't going to limit his options when it comes to a talented, versatile player like Brown. 

Faulkner's plans for Brown should become a little more clear when the Gators open spring practice on March 3.