Fortunately for Crimson football, Copple’s choice to develop his skills on the turf at Harvard Stadium means that an already impressive recruiting class gets an unprecedented boost. Copple was, according to rivals.com, the sixth-ranked player coming out of Nebraska and the 52nd ranked player at his position in the country. He was named to the All-State team his junior and senior years, playing both offensive lineman and defensive tackle. He’s listed at 6’4, 275 lbs, but claims that off-season training has boosted him to 305 lbs.

“I’m getting in shape—getting bigger, stronger, faster—so when two-a-days come around I can go back and prove something,” Copple said.

The former two-way lineman will probably play on the offensive line for the Crimson, possibly at left offensive tackle. And while he’s not concerned with starting just yet, the graduation of seniors Joe Mujalli James Bakken and Joe Traverso, coupled with the injuries that riddled the front five this season, might leave room for the newbie.

Murphy admits to being excited with his recruiting coup, but remains practical.

“The distinction I make is that he’s a tremendous prospect,” Murphy said. “He’s physically mature, he’s had a distinguished career with a lot of accolades. But there’s a difference between a prospect and a great collegiate athlete, so we’ll see.”

Time will tell on Copple’s college performance, but for the moment the potential D-I star is happy to be wearing crimson—even if many of his friends and high school teammates are sporting Cornhusker red.

“The main thing is that it wasn’t anybody’s decision but my own,” Copple said. “All the people who pressured me to accept the full ride from Nebraska—it’s not their life.”

—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu./