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Gators WR Jacob Copeland to Wear No. 1 in 2021

Florida Gators WR Jacob Copeland is the latest wide receiver to don the illustrious No. 1 jersey.

Zach Goodall

Photo: Jacob Copeland; Credit: Zach Goodall

There's a new No. 1 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Wide receiver Jacob Copeland will don the illustrious No. 1 jersey for the Florida Gators during his senior season, taking the number over after its previous owner, fellow wide receiver and 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney, wore it during the 2019-20 seasons.

Copeland has moved on from the No. 15 jersey which he rocked over his first three seasons at Florida, and the expectations couldn't be higher for the Pensacola product entering his fourth. The No. 15 jersey is not expected to be vacated for long.

Copeland is expected to emerge as the No. 1 receiver in the Gators' offense this season following the departure of Toney and Trevon Grimes. A high-caliber recruit who signed as a member of head coach Dan Mullen's inaugural recruiting class, Copeland has flashed talent deserving of the number but it has all yet to come together for a consistently dominant, season-long performance.

In three seasons, Copeland has caught 45 passes for 724 yards and five touchdowns. Copeland led all qualifying Florida pass-catchers (minimum 20 receptions) in 2020 by averaging 18.9 yards per catch.

Copeland is the third Gator to have confirmed a number change since the team began its photoshoots for 2021 promotions this week, joining wide receiver Justin Shorter (No. 89 to No. 4) and tight end Kemore Gamble (No. 88 to No. 2).

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Zach Goodall
ZACH GOODALL

Zach Goodall is the publisher of AllGators.com on FanNation-Sports Illustrated, serving as a beat reporter covering football, recruiting, and occasionally other sports since 2019.  Before moving to Gainesville, Zach spent four years covering the Jacksonville Jaguars for SB Nation (2015-18) and Locked On Podcast Network (2017-19), originally launching his sports journalism career as a junior in high school. He also covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for FanNation-Sports Illustrated (2020-22). In addition to writing and reporting, Zach is a sports photographer and videographer who primarily shoots football and basketball games, practices and related events. When time permits in the 24/7 media realm, Zach enjoys road trips, concerts, golf and microbreweries. 

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