Pope dominates in 70-0 win
Ohio State linebacker commit K'Vaughan Pope has made a name for himself over the years by being a playmaker at any position that his coaches put him at. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Dinwiddie (Va.) product did just that again on Friday night. Pope scored three touchdowns in less than a half of play as his team rolled to a 70-0 win on opening night.
Pope recorded a rushing and receiving touchdown on offense, and capped things off with an interception return for a score late in the first half. With state championship dreams at Dinwiddie, Pope is happy with how his group has come together this off-season and with the effort put forth in the season opener.
"I think we can make it back to state's again," said Pope. "These guys work hard and they do what's asked of them. I think we can go pretty far."
Pope's interception return for a touchdown was his most impressive play of the night. Showing an A-Gap blitz pre-snap, Pope realized it had been mistimed and dropped back into coverage instead, undercutting a crossing route and racing for a touchdown.
"I was supposed to be blitzing but they saw me and knew it was coming," Pope recalled. "I just backed off and caught the pick."
The Rivals100 product's first high school game as a Buckeye was a big success and the weight off his shoulders to focus on his senior season can't be understated.
"It feels great to be committed," he said. "It's great having it out of the way and I can just focus on my guys here."
Ohio State surged to the lead for Pope in the spring and never looked back. The program provides the total package according to the four-star prospect.
"It was just everything," he explained. "The coaching staff, players, campus, you name it."
Pope's versatility on the high school field as not gone unnoticed. While Ohio State has been recruiting him at linebacker, head coach Urban Meyer has an opinion or two on the matter.
"Probably outside linebacker but coach Meyer wants me at tight end," Pope said with a laugh.
New linebackers coach Billy Davis might have something to say about that. Pope and Davis continue to speak regularly.
"Every time we get on the phone (Davis) asks me if I've been using those steps we worked on at camp on blitzing," Pope said. "I've been like 'coach I haven't got a chance yet, but I'm going to use them'. Coach Meyer, it's just small talk, he just makes sure I'm keeping up communication and everything."
Pope says he does not know when his next Ohio State visit will be but that he expects to catch a game this fall and will perhaps use his official visit weekend to do that.
