Stellar Florida WR weighs possible future role at 'WRU'

Copeland at Clemson's camp earlier this month

by Tom Meares - Correspondent - Sun Jun 26 09:01:02 GMT-04:00 2016

A highly touted wide receiver from the Sunshine State visited Clemson recently and came away impressed.

Jacob Copeland, a four-star 2018 prospect from Pensacola's Pine Forest High School, told TigerNet by phone Saturday that he spent two days observing Dabo Swinney Football Camp, accompanied by coach Jeff Scott, co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers.

Copeland said he likes how Clemson's offense is set up and said Scott told him that with his playing style, he would fit seamlessly into the system. He also said he likes the overall direction of the program, both in terms of recruiting top talent and stringing together four consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins.

“They're making the big moves,” Copeland said. “Everything I see I like about their program.”

The speedy and muscular playmaker, who runs a 4.44 40-yard dash, still has two seasons to play for the Trojans of Pine Forest, who went 8-3 in 2015. As a sophomore, Copeland said he tallied 771 yards and 12 touchdowns on 35 receptions. Though he has also played running back and free safety during his high school career, he has been rated by 24/7 Sports as the nation's No. 2 receiving prospect in the Class of 2018.

He said he's highly optimistic about what the coming season holds for the Trojans.

“We're gonna be good,” Copeland said. “We've really got our whole team returning this year, so we really could make a run this year.”

In May, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables visited Pensacola to make the scholarship offer. This month, Copeland released his top 10 list of schools – Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan and Mississippi State – via his Twitter account.

Copeland told TigerNet that he plans to announce his college commitment after his junior season. He added that he spoke with Scott about the possibility of attending a game in Death Valley this season but is unsure at this point when his schedule will allow that.

In addition to those 10 universities, Copeland holds offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, N.C. State, Oregon State, UCF and West Virginia, among others.

"It's a great feeling to have all these offers," he told TigerNet in May.

"I'd like to thank each and every one of the coaches that gave me the opportunity to further my education and football career at their school," Copeland tweeted earlier this month. "I'd also like to thanks my family, coaches, and most importantly God for guiding me through this recruiting process and helping me narrow down my list."

Copeland said Saturday his ultimate goal is to play football at the professional level, and he believes Clemson's reputation as “Wide Receiver University,” or “WRU,” and track record of churning out NFL receiving talent could further him in that cause.

“It could give me a greater chance of making it into the (National Football) League, hopefully,” he said.