Miami football: 5 most underrated players in Miami Hurricanes history

4. Miami football underrated players: Horace Copeland

What we remember most of the 1992 Miami season was the Heisman Trophy performance of quarterback Gino Torretta, but he never gets there if it isn’t for the performance of wide receiver Horace Copeland that season. They were coming off the 1991 National Championship, and Copeland was looking to help his quarterback have his best season yet.

There’s a good reason why Copeland’s name isn’t among the best in Miami history. Just look at some of the wide receivers to go through that locker room. Michael Irvin, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, and Andre Johnson are just some of the awesome talents to grace South Florida. Copeland’s talent might be the best of all of them, especially when talking about his pure speed.

Copeland was a two-sport athlete for the Hurricanes, leaving the school with multiple records in track and field. However, it’s as a wide receiver where he made the biggest impact on his school. In 1991, he was tops in the Big East with 19.1 yards per reception. His pure speed helped him get past cornerbacks with ease.

His best season came in 1992 when he caught 47 balls for 769 yards. The issue here is Lamar Thomas was on that same team, and he caught 10 touchdowns that season.

Copeland helped the Hurricanes establish themselves in their first season in the Big East, which eventually led to that National Championship. That 1991 season started with Copeland’s biggest impact. He caught a 99-yard pass against Arkansas in a 31-3 win. Copeland had one of the great wide receiver seasons in Miami history, but because of his competition, he never gets the recognition he deserves.