Florida Lost Copeland to Transfer Portal; Impacts Gasparilla Bowl Matchup with UCF

Jacob Copeland entered the transfer portal and will not play for the Gators against UCF.

Brian Smith | Dec 10, 2021

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Whenever a team loses a key player for any reason, there can be a residual effect that may not be accounted for. That’s likely what happened yesterday when Florida lost Jacob Copeland to the transfer portal.

The redshirt junior wide receiver from Pensacola (Fla.) Escambia was the leading receiver for the Gators this season with 39 receptions for 607 yards and four touchdowns.

Just yesterday, Inside The Knights highlighted Copeland’s skills within this article:

Talking UCF Secondary Play Against Florida's Quarterback and Top Receivers

The 6’0”, 202 pound player presented a target with speed and size. His experience should not be forgotten either. Having a security blanket for quarterback Emory Jones was in fact Copeland.

Copeland’s absence will change the depth chart and the starting lineup. That’s not easy while the Gators are in the midst of an assistant coaching staff being completely changed over and newly hired Head Coach Billy Napier having additional tasks like meeting with players individually, hiring assistants, and trying to work on recruiting.

With Copeland no longer in the lineup for Florida, that will place more pressure on other players, and in particular the running backs and even Jones, to create plays within the running game. The Gators are a good rushing football team by way of averaging 209 yards rushing per contest, as well as two rushing touchdowns per game.

Overall, Florida rushed for 2,508 yards and 24 touchdowns through the first twelve games of the 2021 season, and averaged a very good 5.4 yards per carry. That rushing attack will now be pressured more to produce with Copeland no longer in the starting lineup or even coming off the bench.

Will the Gators be able to run the football if UCF stacks the box and plays all-out to stop the running game?

The wildcard could be backup quarterback Anthony Richardson. He was in and out of the lineup while battling with Jones for reps behind center. His athleticism is absolutely elite, as he possesses a tremendous arm, and also a penchant for running the football.

Perhaps the Gators will use Richardson in a variety of packages to find different ways to get him the football and allow his natural creativity to make plays. He ran for 401 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 7.9 yards per carry.

In the end, Florida needs to find a way to make up for the lost production with Copeland, and that’s not going to be very easy.