Copeland said he had to make his own decision.
Four-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland committed to Florida on National Signing Day. He picked the Gators over offers from Alabama and Tennessee.
Awkwardly, Copeland’s mom left the ceremony as soon as he committed. She’d been wearing an Alabama hoodie and apparently really wanted him to pick the Tide or Tennessee, whose hat she was wearing.
Jacob Copeland chooses Florida.
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) February 7, 2018
His mom, who was wearing a Tennessee hat and Alabama sweater just gets up and leaves. #NationalSigningDaypic.twitter.com/FlPcgXFBBV
“I can’t go with my mom,” Copeland told ESPN. “I gotta go with my heart.”
Copeland’s mom returned later and embraced her son:
Mom came back... pic.twitter.com/VNKrVdDiue
— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) February 7, 2018
Copeland appeared to be agonized during his recruitment:
Throughout this entire recruiting process I never been as stressed as I am now. I cried and cried all last night about God leading me in the right directions. Now I don’t have over much as a day to decide on a school that’ll change my future after football.
— Jacob Copeland (@JCope1era) February 6, 2018
But by the end of the day, laughed off the moment on Twitter.
What my mama did today was hilarious if you knew her personally that’s her job. PUT ON A SHOW! ♂️
— Jacob Copeland (@JCope1era) February 7, 2018
Copeland isn’t the first recruit in recent years to defy his mother during a commitment ceremony. Former Alabama safety Landon Collins did it a few years ago:
Copeland’s a really good player.
Copeland, the Pensacola, Fla., blue-chipper, currently ranks as one of 2018’s top 10 receiver recruits and the No. 14 overall recruit in the state, per the 247Sports Composite. He said at the New Orleans regional camp of Nike’s The Opening tour early this year that Clemson co-OC Jeff Scott has referred to him as a Sammy Watkins-type.
Clemson, Florida, and Auburn were his biggest standout colleges earlier in the cycle, with Alabama emerging down the stretch as a threat.
He was, for a time, committed to Florida before the Gators’ coaching change forced him to go a different way. Tennessee came in as a late suitor and once Jeremy Pruitt got hired, secured a visit in mid-December.
Tennessee got a bump on Copeland the second Jeremy Pruitt arrived. Some of the staff has already paid Copeland an in-home visit.
Standing 6’0, 192 with a Spider-Man tat, he expects to reach about 205 in a college strength program. He cites academics and playing time as his biggest factors.
In order to focus on his grades. Copeland changed high schools amid a coaching change for his senior year.