UF receivers coach Billy Gonzales has pumped out NFL receivers with remarkable efficiency over the past two seasons.
In 2019, the senior quartet of Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond and Tyrie Cleveland enjoyed breakout years and keyed the Gators’ best passing attack since the early 2000s.
Then, of course, they all graduated, which left the 2020 Gators with a pair of veteran underachievers in Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes. Toney finished the season with team-highs of 70 receptions, 984 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Grimes ranked third on the team in each category and made one of the best catches of the year against Georgia.
Now both of them are gone, and … well, you get the idea.
Jacob Copeland looks like the next player to fit that mold. Despite being the crown jewel of Dan Mullen’s transitional recruiting class in 2018, he’s only caught 45 passes for 724 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons. And that was in a pass-heavy attack the likes of which the Gators don’t figure to replicate anytime soon.
Based on the limited portions of practice available to watch on Instagram Live, he’s about to have a breakout season. He’s hauled in several deep balls for what would’ve been touchdowns against first-string defensive backs.
He’s getting open on just about every rep in the one-on-one receiver versus defensive back drill. His route-running looks much better, and he’s cut down on the drops that have plagued him throughout his career. He’s one of the quickest players on the team and also one of the strongest pound-for-pound. He said he’s bench pressed 425 or 430 pounds before.
“I feel like I’m one of the most physical and strongest receivers in the country,” Copeland said. “Not one of them, I am the strongest receiver in the country.
“Coach Billy G [is] going to work us to death. He’s going to always make sure everybody’s on the same page. He’s going to push you to your limits. As long as I’ve got him in my corner, I feel like I’m going to be good this year, all the receiving corps at that.”
Not to be overlooked is the fact that Mullen awarded Copeland with the coveted No. 1 jersey this season. Mullen wants that number to become synonymous with greatness. Three of the four players who have donned that number for him at Florida have been drafted in the first round, and the only one who hasn’t is still on the team (Brenton Cox).
“It’s a really big privilege, and I feel like I’ll be accountable for everything that comes with the number,” Copeland said. “As we talked before, a couple months ago, [Mullen] gave me a call, gave me the number, told me what’s behind the number and the responsibilities that come with it, and I said, ‘Yes sir.’”
It wasn’t easy for Copeland to make it this far. He admits that he’s gotten frustrated by not playing as much or catching as many passes as he thought he should in the past. It was tough for him to watch the passing game shatter records under Kyle Trask and only be a small part of it.
He credits his former teammates such as Jefferson, Toney, Swain and Cleveland for helping him to mature and buy-in to Mullen and Gonzales’ player development system.
“I didn’t understand the development part of what was going on,” he said. “As I got older and [saw] what it all took, the receivers, they come on, they catch on slowly, and they learn the process of what the game [is] all about.
“The older receivers always kept me motivated, and we built a good relationship, good bond over the time since I’ve been here. They taught me the game as I was younger here, and now I’m in their position here.”
Now Copeland wants to make sure that the train keeps on rolling down the tracks once he’s gone. The Gators have four wide receivers who are in their first or second years in college. This time next year, we’ll probably be wondering how the Gators can possibly replace the loss of Copeland to the NFL.
If Copeland has anything to do with it, the answer will be the same.
“[I’m] making sure my younger receivers stand up and stay calm here with everything going on,” he said. “Making sure they develop with this time.”
It’s been a more challenging college career than Copeland envisioned, but he’s thankful that he listened to Mullen’s message and stayed the course.
“He’s going to tell you that all the time,” Copeland said. “Like, ‘Your time might not be now. It might be a week from now. It might be a year from now, two years from now. It all comes down to when you’re going to be ready for your time to come.'”
Jefferson, Swain, Hammond, Grimes, Toney and Kyle Pitts have taken Florida’s offense to new heights the last two seasons.
Copeland will take it from here.