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The Florida Gators lost yet another member of their elite receiving corps ahead of their date with the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl this Wednesday night.
Unlike the other three who previously opted out from the New Year’s Six bowl game to pursue their professional aspirations in the National Football League, redshirt sophomore receiver Jacob Copeland will sit out due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests, he announced on Monday via his personal Twitter account.
Due to testing Covid-19 positive multiple times I will not be playing in New Year’s 6 bowl game. 🙏🏽
— Jacob Copeland (@JCope1era) December 28, 2020
The multiple positive tests confirm his diagnosis, though it is unclear how much contact he had with his teammates in the intervening period. Presumably, the program has been compliant with COVID-19 protocols and has kept the spread of the virus to a minimum, though we will not know for sure until the game officially starts.
However, if this trend continues, Heisman Trophy finalist Kyle Trask might not have anyone to throw the ball to by the time kick off rolls around.
Copeland set career highs in his second full campaign, catching 23 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns in nine games, providing Trask another reliable option in the nation’s premier passing game. He is expected to return next season and provide some leadership on a young pass-catching corps that will lose three impact players to the NFL draft.
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