Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas running back Fred Coppet may be small in stature, but few backs play bigger than him when the lights come on.
The 5-foot-9, 155-pound back has electric speed, an explosive cutting ability and he has great instincts coming out of the backfield. Three schools have offered the Florida prospect – Boston College, Indiana and South Florida – but you can expect that number to rise during his final season.
“I’ve been running track lately, but it’s good to be back on the football field,” said Coppet. “My short spring has gone well though. The first time I got in a scrimmage, I broke off a couple touchdowns. It felt good to be back. I’m ready for this season to start.”
Coppet is one of the top track athletes in the sunshine state, but for such a talented football player, the transition back to the gridiron is a smooth one.
“The biggest transition from track to football is the contact,” said the 247Sports three-star prospect. “I love contact. When the pads go on, it’s a great thing. I got hit by (Joey) Bosa on the first day and that was a nice welcome back. That one hit got me back into football mode.”
Coppet spoke about the three schools that have offered him, as well as two other in-state powers that he has heard from lately.
South Florida – I don’t know too much about South Florida, but Coach Scott is a real good dude. Me and him talk off and on. We talk a lot about the campus, the environment and how things are up there. It’s a school I’m definitely interested in.
Boston College – I have a great vibe with the coaching staff. I feel like they are my big brothers.
Indiana – Indiana recently offered me also. That seems like a good place. That’s another school I am interested in checking out.
Florida – Florida is a school I want an offer from. I just like how they run their offense and do things. That would be a nice offer to get.
Florida State – I love Florida State. I grew up on them. That was my favorite team when I was young and it’s my favorite team still now. I talked to Coach Gran the other day. He wants me to keep working and they will check me out again this season.
Although he doesn’t have a leader, Coppet knows when he would like to have a decision made.
“I’d like to have a decision made before my season, so that I can just focus on football,” Coppet said. “The biggest factor will probably be the depth chart. I want an opportunity earlier than later.”
Tom Loy contributed to this article
- Josh Newberg
- Florida State Insider - Noles247