Jacob Copeland, a four-star wide receiver from Pensacola, Florida, announced his commitment to the University of Florida on Wednesday afternoon.
Copeland announced the decision live on ESPN2, choosing the Gators over Tennessee and Alabama. As Copeland made his decision known and put on a Florida hat, his mother, seated to his right wearing an Alabama sweatshirt and a Tennessee hat, stormed away.
[Rivals National Signing Day Live-Blog]
Asked why his mom got up and walked away, Copeland said he wasn’t sure, but had to follow his heart.
“I don’t know exactly why she walked out. I can’t go with my mom, I want to go with my heart,” he said.
A few minutes later, Copeland’s mom came back to give her son a big hug.
Copeland indicated in a tweet on Tuesday that his college decision was weighing heavily on him.
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
Ultimately, Copeland, who is rated as the No. 132 overall prospect in the 2018 class by Rivals.com, opted to stay in-state and play for new Florida coach Dan Mullen.
Copeland made a verbal commitment to Florida last summer, but decided to open up his recruitment after the school fired Jim McElwain. After the season, UF hired Mullen away from Mississippi State and he worked hard to assemble a top 20 class. Mullen was recruiting Copeland while at Mississippi State and was able to keep the relationship alive upon making the transition to Florida.
There are so many things that go into a college decision. Copeland ultimately felt most comfortable in Gainesville, even if his mom may not agree.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
