One day after suiting up for Florida, former Gators wide receiver Jacob Copeland has announced his transfer to Maryland.
Copeland took an official visit to Maryland the weekend of December 10, just one day after announcing his entry in the transfer portal.
A former four-star prospect, Copeland started in eleven and appeared in all twelve games during the Gators’ 2021 season and led the team in both receptions (39) and receiving yards (607) while also tying Kemore Gamble with four receiving touchdowns on the season.
Maryland announced the addition of Copeland shortly after the former four-star’s announcement.
“University of Maryland football coach Michael Locksley has announced that wide receiver Jacob Copeland has joined the Terrapin football program. Copeland transfers in from the University of Florida and has two years of eligibility remaining. Copeland has appeared in 40 games with 23 starts over four seasons for the Gators, totaling 86 receptions for 1,366 yards and nine touchdowns. The Pensacola, Florida native set career-highs as Florida’s leader in receptions (41), receiving yards (642) and receiving touchdowns (four) in 2021. Copeland ranked seventh in the SEC in yards per reception (15.66) and ranked top-20 in the conference in every receiving category. He has tallied at least one reception in 19-straight games dating back to 2020. In 2020, Copeland caught 23 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns while playing alongside 2021 NFL first-round picks Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney. Copeland had 21 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2019. A four-star prospect out of Escambia High School, Copeland ranked No. 69 overall and No. 12 among wide receivers in the 2018 recruiting class and chose Florida over Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, Clemson, and Georgia.”
With Dontay Demus announcing his return to Maryland last week, the addition of Copeland helps elevate the talent in the wide receiver room for position coach Zohn Burden and head coach Mike Locksley. Copeland joins Demus and Rakim Jarrett to elevate Maryland’s potential 2022 passing attack. Maryland is also expected to have wide receiver Jeshaun Jones back next season alongside Marcus Fleming, Nick DeGennaro, and Tai Felton among others as the Terps’ offense looks to build on their 2021 success.
Copeland joins a Maryland offense that ranked 14th in the FBS in passing offense last fall after averaging nearly 310 yards per game.
Copeland finished with 35 receiving yards on two catches in Thursday’s 29-17 loss to UCF. The former top-100 prospect also has two years of eligibility remaining.
Copeland, a signee under former Florida head coach Dan Mullen’s first recruiting class in 2018, announced his entry into the transfer portal just four days after the Gators announced Billy Napier as the new head coach.
Copeland also becomes the second transfer addition for Maryland this cycle, joining former West Virginia linebacker VanDarious Cowan.