The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/112604
2013 football recruiting issue officially visited Madison. However, the youngster has no regrets from his decision to play at Florida, where he appeared in 13 games with three starts while serving as the back-up to senior John Brantley in 2011 and classmate Jeff Driskel this past fall. ���My big thing is, even when I lose, I win,��� Brissett noted. ���No matter if I was the starter at Florida or not, I won by growing as a person and going through that. Experiencing that will make you grow up faster than the person that got everything handed to them. I feel like I won in that category.��� Brissett started a pair of games, including at No. 1 LSU, as a true freshman in 2011, becoming the first rookie in school history to take his first career snap as the starter. He also started on the road against No. 24 Auburn the following week, and finished his debut campaign with eight appearances, 206 yards passing, a pair of touchdown throws and four interceptions, in addition to two rushing scores. Driskel, who was the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the country when he and Brissett were high school seniors, emerged as the Gator���s man under center this fall, while Brissett was limited to just five games. He did start the season opener, but Driskel played the majority of the game and was named the season starter prior to the team���s second contest. ���It crushed him, but it was a lesson in life that he learned,��� Dwyer head coach Jack Daniels said. ���After the initial blow, he said, ���I���m going to pick up the pieces, help this team the best I can and move on;��� that���s what happened. ���If you look at the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL, all of those guys ��� except for maybe Peyton Manning ��� have had a difficult road. Tom Brady was an afterthought as a draft choice, Joe Flacco was a Travares Copeland Follows ��� Friend Jacoby Brissett To NC State Before Florida transfer quarterback Jacoby Brissett knew his way around campus, he was asked to take an important leadership role on the NC State football team. After just two weeks in Raleigh, the signal-caller served as the host on an official visit of former West Virginia wide receiver Travares Copeland, a fellow Florida native and friend from their prep days in the Sunshine State. ���The only places I knew were the academic office, my classes and my room; and I don���t even have a car,��� Brissett joked. ���But it was good, it���s getting more Florida players up here. ���I got to play with [Copeland] in seven-on-seven [in high school], and he���s as good as it gets. Once he gets his opportunity to go out there and be the guy, I feel like he can do some damage.��� The 5-11, 178-pound Copeland visited on the weekend of Feb. 1, and announced his intentions to transfer to NC State shortly after. The dynamic true freshman played this past fall with the Mountaineers and recorded 10 catches for 55 yards in four appearances. He left his previous school on Nov. 8 because his 104-yearold grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer���s and he Copeland saw action in four games and hauled in 10 receptions for 55 yards as a wanted to be closer to home. ���He���s a fantastic player with huge upside,��� said Vernon freshman at West Virginia this past fall. photo courtesy west virginia Bailey, the publisher of Rivals website WVSports.com. ���WVU has had a nice run with those guys that are real playmakers in space, and that���s what they expected from him. Quite honestly, I thought it was a huge loss for the program.��� Once again, it was head coach Dave Doeren that sealed the deal. ���He is a guy that you can really trust and I picked up on his vibe and really connected immediately,��� Copeland said. ���The first day I talked to him, he was in my living room the next day. That was a big plus and big on my decision. He made feel like it was open arms and a family. I really thought I could trust him and my grandparents like him a lot.��� The wideout played under center at Port St. Lucie (Fla.) Treasure Coast and was ranked by Rivals.com as a threestar prospect, the No. 28 athlete in the country and the No. 53 senior in Florida���s class of 2012. He is currently training at home and will arrive in Raleigh this summer with three years of eligibility left ��� even if he can���t play immediately, he can redshirt and be eligible as a redshirt sophomore in 2014. ���I really could see myself there for the rest of my years and playing ball,��� he said. ���I know how the game speed is [in college], which is a big difference from high school. I learned a lot about techniques and how to run routes. I also learned to block because in high school I played quarterback and never had to block. ���I���m a very quick guy and I���m good in open space. I have great hands and I���m tough.��� ��� Ryan Tice guy that was at Pittsburgh then had to leave there to go to Delaware, Aaron Rodgers was a junior college guy. Those guys are proud and good players, but they remember those things that make them work harder, they hold those grudges; I think Jacoby will be the same way.��� In late November, Florida head coach Will Muschamp said that Driskel would be his starter in 2013. Brissett finished his sophomore year 23-of-35 passing for 249 yards and a score, and he also rushed for a touchdown, but his most important experiences came away from the gridiron. ���It taught me a lot about myself,��� Brissett admitted. ���I was around people that had become my family, and as a person, I���ll always put my family or anybody that I���m associated with before me. Therefore, it was kind of easy for me to just say, ���Hey, I���m not doing this for myself anymore.��� No matter what my situation is, I���m trying to win.��� Florida finished 11-2 with an appearance in the Sugar Bowl, and Brissett expressed no hard feelings toward any of his former coaches or teammates. However, he still has the goal of hoisting a Heisman Trophy and leading his team to championships as the starting quarterback, and he is more driven than ever in Raleigh. ���One of my big goals is I want to win a Heisman,��� he said. ���I want to win an ACC Championship and I want to win a National Championship. I want to see the team do well and I just want to see players enjoying football.��� ���I think his upside is outstanding,��� Rivals��� national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell said. ���I think Jacoby Brissett is a home run, potentially.��� He will have to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules and will be eligible in 2014 as a redshirt junior. However, he knows how much he can improve even if he isn���t on the game field, and he���s focused on doing that one last time before taking over the offense. ���I feel like my arm got stronger, and my accuracy and footwork got a lot better last year,��� he said. ���It was a big year for me ��� when you���re sitting out, you get better at your skills. I���m going to have to sit out another year, so the only thing that can happen is my skills get better. ���[Redshirting] can help me out a lot. I���m going into a situation where I���m in practice, but I���m not really in the game plan. I���ll be sitting through the meetings and learning everything, but then I���ll turn around and go play with the scout team, going against a No. 1 defense, not just some scout team defense. I���ll be getting in work and Aaron Rodgers is the poster child for that.��� ��� 46��� ������ the wolfpacker 44-46.FB Transfers.indd 46 2/26/13 1:14 PM