Copeland making significant strides
Gators receiver shows flashes after recovering from leg injury
GAINESVILLE — Standing at 6-feet and a chiseled 198 pounds while possessing blazing speed, receiver Jacob Copeland has all the tools to become a top playmaker for the Gators’ offense.
Whether the redshirt freshman gets a chance this season will depend on how quickly he gets up to speed after missing most of 2018 with a leg injury that also limited him during the spring.
“It’s almost like he’s an advanced freshman because he hasn’t got the reps to even do it, so he’s still learning the offense,” coach Dan Mullen said. “And now kind of the second time around, it’s all kind of new for him. He’s a little more advanced because he’s kind of been through it in the meetings and learning it and been around it, but he hasn’t been out there on the field doing it.”
Copeland has shown encouraging flashes early during preseason camp.
“He’s looked pretty good at picking things up,” Mullen said. “He’s got a great skill set. He’s got size, power and speed, and he catches the ball pretty well.”
Copeland arrived from Pensacola Escambia, the high school that produced Emmitt Smith, as an Under Armour All-American and the top-rated recruit in the Gators’ 2018, ranking No. 69 according to 247Sports.
Due to injuries, Copeland appeared in three games and had one catch for 16 yards.
“His yards-per-touch last year was pretty good, so we’ll have to try to get him the ball some this year,” Mullen said.
If not 2019, Copeland will be a key to the Gators’ future. Four of the team’s top six receivers are seniors — Van Jefferson, Josh Hammond, Tyrie Cleveland and Freddie Swain — and two are jun
iors —Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney.
While Copeland’s ultimate impact might be a season or two away, Mullen said he plans to integrate him into the game plan and help him acclimate to the college game.
“After this year, we have some exodus of some seniors,” Mullen said. “It’s our job to get those guys in the game and get them reps and get them to play and get them experience, but also to try to make sure we’re putting them in situations to go be successful. One, we’ve got to get them ready to be everydown players. You never know. But, even this year, let’s get them some get-toit. Get them in the game, let them do some things they do well and build some confidence so they get ready to be every-down players.”
Huggins, Henderson remain absent
Defensive back John Huggins, one of the surprise players this past spring, has yet to practice with the team due to a “family issue,” according to a UF spokesperson.
Following Monday’s practice, the Gators’ fourth during preseason camp, Mullen did not have a timetable on Huggins’ return.
“I have to check with him with the family situation,” Mullen said.
The Gators entered camp with questions about the team’s cornerback depth following the transfers of freshman Chris Steele and junior Brian Edwards. The emergence of Huggins would have allowed fellow nickelback Trey Dean to work on the outside, where he played last season as a first-year freshman, or even at safety, where he played in high school.
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Huggins, a sophomore from Deltona, stood out during several spring practices. He then made a picksix during the spring game, further positioning himself for a key role a season after recording just three tackles in eight appearances.
Meanwhile, four-star receiver Arjei Henderson’s arrival has been delayed by academic issues. Mullen said during last Thursday’s Media Day he expected to Henderson join the Gators this past weekend, but those plans have changed as he finishes up a required class.
He likely would not be ready to join until after training camp, Mullen said.
“Even though we worked, most of the university and most everybody else that deals with all that stuff hasn’t,” Mullen said. “So it’s whenever the end of that class is. I don’t think they’re expecting him, honestly, until the first day of school.”
Henderson was the No. 140-rated prospect in the 2019 class after catching 38 touchdowns during 32 games as a high school player in Sugarland, Texas.
Ball seeks medical assistance
Former Gators linebacker Neiron Ball is in a nursing home in Jackson, Ga., after he ruptured a blood vessel in his brain and was diagnosed with an aneurysm in September.
Ball, a member of the Gators from 2010-14, totaled 94 tackles during 45 games at UF. He had brain surgery in 2011 and missed his sophomore season due to a congenital condition called an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which causes the brain’s blood vessels to get tangled and rupture.
He was a fifth-round pick in 2015 by the Raiders. He went on injured reserve that December and never played again.
Ball, now 26, is paralyzed in all four limbs. His family seeks help to get him out of a nursing home and into a rehabilitation facility.
Ball’s current insurance is not covering the costs, leading his family to launch a GoFundMe page to raise $50,000. By Monday night, more than $46,000 had been raised.
Neiron is currently being cared for by his sister, Natalie Ball Myricks, and his great aunt.