Florida football injury update: VBIII, Bailey Stockton questionable for Mizzou
· Yahoo Sports
Florida football wide receivers Vernell Brown III and Bailey Stockton have been listed as questionable for UF's game at No. 25 Missouri (October 3, 3:30 p.m., ABC) on the SEC's Initial Availability Report released on September 30.
Visit newsbetting.cv for more information.
Brown III suffered a knee injury after an 11-yard run in the second quarter during UF's 52-28 win over Ole Miss and did not return.
Stockton, meanwhile, suffered a back injury on a helmet-to-helmet targeting hit by Ole Miss safety Joenel Arguero, who was ejected on the play. He returned to field punts in the second half but has been limited in practice this week.
Brown leads the No. 8 Florida Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) in receiving with 17 catches for 271 yards and 2 TDs. He's also been a weapon on special teams with two punt returns for TDs. Stockton, meanwhile, has 13 catches for 106 yards and 1 TD on the season.
Florida football may need to turn to depth at WR
If Stockton and Brown are both out, Florida could turn to receivers Eric Singleton Jr., Kahleil Jackson and Micah Mays Jr. for more snaps against Missouri. Singleton returned to the field after sitting out two-plus game with an ankle injury and caught a 38-yard pass against Ole Miss, while also forcing a pass interference penalty.
"He played 8-9 snaps," said Florida football offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who coached Singleton at Georgia Tech. "He went deep three or four; he got a pass interference; he got the 38-yard gain. So, yeah, he brings a totally different element when it comes to being able to take the top off of defense than really anybody I've ever been around."
UF has been relatively healthy so far under first-year coach Jon Sumrall, in part due to a strength and conditioning program under Rusty Whitt that focuses on building strength for injury prevention. Whitt is having players maintain a strict weight room schedule during the regular season.
"We've put a lot of work in," Sumrall said. "You know, things that are strong are resilient and don't break easily. So there's a lot of work that's been put in by Rusty (Whitt) and Paul Silvestri and that group. Very grateful for our sports medicine team and strength staff, they all do a phenomenal job."
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy, the SEC's leading rusher from 2025 with 1,649 yards, remains out while recovering from a gunshot wound in his leg. Also out for the Tigers (3-1, 0-1 SEC) are safety, JaDon Blair, running back Malae Fonoti, offensive lineman Josh Atkins and tight end Gavin Hoffman.
Edge rushers Langden Kitchen and Darris Smith and linebacker Bobby Washington Jr. are questionable for Missouri.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football injury update: VBIII, Bailey Stockton questionable for Mizzou

