An All-America selection from high school, Vernon Macklin was among Georgetown's most prized recruits in a decade. He averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds a game at Hargrave (VA) Academy, and was ranked as the #12 recruit nationally by Prep Stars and Hoop Scoop Online. Macklin gave thought to going straight to the NBA, but an NBA rule enacted that season required players to commit to at least one year of college before turning pro. As a result, Macklin signed with Georgetown in the fall of 2005.

During each of his two seasons, Macklin played backup to Roy Hibbert and his stats reflected it. Despite setting a school record shooting 74% from the field in 2006-07, Macklin averaged just 9.8 minutes of play, 2.9 points, and 1.5 rebounds. In 2007-08 he averaged 12.8 minutes, 3.4 points, and 2.1 rebounds, but failed to make the starting lineup in any of his 65 games at Georgetown. He scored in double figures just three times in his career.

Nearly a quarter of Macklin's points came in just two games his sophomore season, a 5 for 5, 10 point effort against Pittsburgh, and an 8 for 10, 18 point effort against an outmanned St. John's team. In too many other games, however, his scoring was not a factor, and his free throw shooting less so, ending the season shooting just 25 percent from the line.

The 6-9 Macklin was expected to be a likely starter for the Hoyas in 2008-09. Just two months earlier, an optimistic Macklin told the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot that "I'm happy here at Georgetown" and that "my time is coming". But a source told the Washington Times that he "chose to listen to what he wanted to hear from some folks outside the program, rather than what he needed to hear from those within it."

Macklin transferred to Florida, where he started all 71 games for the Gators over two seasons, averaging 11 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. A second round pick of the Detroit Pistons, he played as a reserve center in 23 games during the 2011-12 season, averaging 2.0 points per game. His counterpart in the starting role was Greg Monroe, who would have been his college teammate had he stayed at Georgetown.

Macklin, the only John Thompson III-era transfer to play in the NBA, was waived by the New Orleans Hornets in 2014 and has played internationally in the years since.