Copeland’s aim: Seize opportunity
WR will get his shot because of shoulder injury to Toney
GAINESVILLE — Kadarius loss is Jacob Copeland’s gain.
It could end up being an even trade the Florida Gators.
Toney’s do-everything big-play ability makes him a distinctive weapon for the No. 9 Gators (2-0), but so are the qualities that made Copeland a one-man show in high school and have veteran teammates excited to see what he can do with his opportunity while Toney recovers from a shoulder injury.
“He definitely has a lot of juice to him. That speed is one thing that’s big with Cope,” senior receiver Josh Hammond said. “I think the biggest thing with KT being out, we can get him into the swing of Toney’s for things and use him in a lot of different ways that we didn’t use him before just because we always used KT before. “It’s going to be exciting.”
Before he arrived in Gainesville, Copeland was a highlight waiting to happen every time he touched the football in Pensacola.
During four seasons in high school, his first three at Pensacola Pine Forest and the last at Escambia High, Copeland averaged 13.8 yards per touch from scrimmage (2,949 yards on 213 touches) and scored 29 times — or a touchdown every seven times he had the football.
As with Toney, coach Dan Mullen and his staff moved around Copeland during preseason camp to capitalize on his versatility.
“He took snaps at running back too, so
you can put him anywhere on the field and he’s gonna make plays,” cornerback Marco Wilson said.
Now that Copeland has a taste of competition, he is ready to contribute, beginning with Saturday night’s visit to Kentucky (2-0). Last weekend against UTMartin, Copeland scored his first touchdown — on a 9-yard catch — and finished with four touches from scrimmage for 38 yards, including a 15-yard run.
“That was really only the first time he got to do something serious in a game,” Wilson said. “That’s only the beginning for him; I think that guy is gonna be a great player for the season to come.”
This time last season Copeland was forgotten despite being the highestrated player — No. 69 overall nationally per 247Sports — in the Gators’ 2018 class.
Leg injuries slowed and ultimately sidelined Copeland, who surely expected to contribute after a decorated high school career that ended with Under Armour AllAmerica honors. Instead, Copeland — who has not been allowed to speak with reporters since arriving at UF — showed patience that has been rewarded and earned him respect.
Copeland finished his first season with one catch for 16 yards.
“He has been through so much,” Hammond said, “coming here and first getting injured and then having to kind of sit around and wait a year until he can finally get back and try to get back into the swing of things. He has worked so hard trying to get back healthy, and then once he got back
healthy just learning the offense and trying to learn the different positions and things that he was really good at.
“It was definitely exciting for the receiver group just knowing what he has been through and to finally getting there and making the plays we know he can make.”
The Gators’ talented and crowded receiver room makes it difficult for anyone to really stand out.
Against UT-Martin, nine receivers had multiple receptions, led by 6-foot-5 matchup nightmare Trevon Grimes (five for 56 yards, four first downs) and fifth-year senior Van Jefferson, who scored on a 69-yard touchdown hook-up with Feleipe Franks.
Yet no UF receiver outside of Toney offers the skill set of Copeland, who at 6-feet, 191 pounds has covered 40 yards in 4.4 seconds and benchpressed 405 pounds.
“He’s still learning how to be an every-down receiver,” Mullen said. “But a lot like Kadarius in that way, you can do different things. It’s not like we’re going to plug him in with what things Kadarius was doing. But there are some things that he does pretty well with the ball in his hands.”
Despite Copeland’s lack of production a season ago and place in the pecking order entering preseason, his pedigree and track record suggested the 19-year-old could be an X-factor for the Gators’ offense this season.
This week at Kentucky, Copeland could begin to establish himself as a key cog in the Gators’ offense.
“He’s really talented. He can make a lot of things happen,” safety Donovan Stiner said. “He’s strong, he’s fast, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do since KT is out for now.”