Marquise Copeland, a sophomore defensive lineman, put up much improved numbers from a 2015 season where he saw very limited action. Copeland improved all aspects of his game and physique, a key reason for his huge improvement. Copeland’s 59 tackles ranked fourth among Bearcat defenders and his two forced fumbles were tied for the team lead with Carter Jacobs and Tyrell Gilbert. Copeland was also among team leaders in tackles for loss (T-6th) with 4.5.
Despite playing behind Alex Pace on the depth chart for the majority of the season, Copeland put up numbers every week that proved he can play and compete at the college level.