Maryland didn’t have a big need at wide receiver coming out of the 2021 season, but when former Florida receiver Jacob Copeland hit the transfer portal in late December, head coach Mike Locksley quickly circled back to his former target out of high school to get him in College Park.
“Especially coach [Mike Locksley], he recruited me out of high school. When I hit the portal, he was like the first person to hit me. He hit my people first, then hit me then next day I was on a flight out here for an official [visit]. That sealed it up right there,” Copeland said after Tuesday’s practice. “When I came out here, it was good to see him. When I came on my official, the players who were around, they welcomed me in with all love. I felt like a brother thing that would come together so I felt like it would be the spot for me.”
Copeland described his relationship with Locksley as “a father-son thing,” but the Maryland offense also caught his eye before transferring in. “I’ve seen that they throw the ball a lot and that was a big thing. Playing receiver, I knew that was a thing I had to take into consideration.” Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa spent ample time with Copeland on the official visit as the two were able to build a quick rapport. That bond continued into spring ball as Copeland called his quarterback “a true leader each and every day,” but Tagovailoa’s production during the 2021 season was an aspect that Copeland couldn’t overlook. “Seeing him throwing the ball last year and the year before, I’ve seen that he’s a player that likes to take his chances. When he knows he’s got threats out there in the offense in the receiver thing that he’s got that he’s going to take his chance with the best player on the field.”
Knowing that he’d be another weapon and not the main attraction also appealed to Copeland. “That’s one of the major things. That’s another thing that keyed me in coming here. I knew [Dontay] Demus was like that, and I knew Rak [Jarrett] was like that so it was like, I know the rest of them like that, [Marcus Fleming] and [Jeshaun] Jones. I knew all them boys were like that, so it was like 'hey, why not join a room that’s a special room?'”
With the Terps now passed the halfway point of spring ball, the veteran receiver is working to get the playbook down as he begins applying what he’s picked up from the Terps’ offensive scheme. While wide receiver coach Gunter Brewer joined the program just weeks after Copeland arrived, the former Florida star has already added to his toolbox learning from his new position coach in practice. “Me and coach Brew, it’s been smooth. [He’s not] on no daddy type thing. He treats you like you’re a grown man. Everything was smooth in the meetings. He’s a teacher. He’s going to walk through the process, he’s going to let you do your thing, you’re going to learn from your mistakes with him, he’s going to talk through it with you. He’s just going to keep guiding you through everything.”
Maryland opened the 2021 season with a loaded wide receiver room at quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s disposal, but the addition of former Florida wide receiver Jacob Copeland has given the Terps’ offense yet another weapon. “A big part of that was knowing they had the receiver room that they had, I knew I can contribute to that, and I knew that the receivers that they had were already good but I felt like why only go somewhere else and be just the guy and not go somewhere and be with the guys and we all the guys. And then we play against different defense and they’re like, ‘okay, pick our poison. You’ve got three threats out here so how you gonna do this?’ That’s how I looked at it and I felt like that was a good thing coming here with Rak, Demus and the rest of the receivers.”
Now, the connection with his receivers has only grown with more time spent inside the Jones-Hill House.
“Everybody already has a bond together. Once we hit the receiver room, once I committed here after the portal, they all showed me love so once I got here everybody stuck to the script.”
Maryland will have its first scrimmage of spring practice this upcoming Saturday.
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