Ohio State four-star linebacker commit K'Vaughan Pope (247Sports).
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is expected to sign four-star linebacker K'Vaughan Pope during the early signing period for the 2018 recruiting class from Dec. 20-22. Here's an in-depth look at this member of the Buckeyes' recruiting class.
By Bill Landis, cleveland.com
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K'Vaughan Pope
School: Dinwiddie (Va.)
Position: Linebacker.
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds.
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247Sports rating: Pope is a four-star prospect rated the No. 8 inside linebacker and the No. 213 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite ratings.
Other offers: Georgia, Florida, Clemson, Florida State, Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and others.
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What's his deal?
Pope had one of the more interesting recruitments in this class. Not because he chose Ohio State. That much always seemed inevitable, as long as the Buckeyes were willing to take his pledge. It wasn’t always clear whether or not that would be the case.
There were two factors at play. Ohio State had some other higher-profile linebackers it was hoping could join the class down the line. And Pope had some academic work to shore up before the Buckeyes felt comfortable. Once those test scores came in, he got the go-ahead to commit in August. Given his choice, Pope would have committed on the spot during a visit to Columbus last June.
Either way, he ended up a Buckeye. He’s one of three linebacker commits in this class, joining four-star prospects Teradja Mitchell and Dallas Gant.
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How he fits into Ohio State's plans
Pope has a bit of a slender frame for a Buckeye linebacker. That might keep him from getting on the field early, but it’s also intriguing to think about what he might become with a year or two of training from strength coach Mickey Marotti.
The thing that’s not in question is Pope’s athletic ability, which is why he projects as an outside linebacker at Ohio State. He’s rated as an inside linebacker, and played there for Dinwiddie. You can see his range in his high school tape, and why his high school team decided to deploy its best athlete in the middle of the defense. Pope had nearly 300 tackles in his high school career, and was an important piece of Dinwiddie’s offense in his first three seasons.
Those skills are what make him a fit at Ohio State. He’s a dynamic athlete, and while he has to get bigger to play linebacker in the Big Ten, that’s something that can be changed. Ohio State is betting on his potential when he puts it all together.
Pope’s skill set will allow him to play well in coverage. He’s a linebacker in the mold of players like Jerome Baker and Darron Lee, and fits in well with the other two linebacker commits. A trio of Mitchell in the middle, flanked by Gant and Pope on the outside could be in OSU’s future.
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Projections for 2018
Pope won’t be an early enrollee at Ohio State, and because of some needed physical transformations, he could be a redshirt candidate in 2018. His fellow linebacker commits Mitchell and Gant seem to have a better chance of playing as true freshmen.
The Buckeyes are also expecting a lot back at linebacker with Tuf Borland, Malik Harrison, Baron Browning, Keandre Jones, Pete Werner and Justin Hilliard in the mix. Jerome Baker and Dante Booker both have NFL decisions to make. Both could come back. It’s unlikely that both come back. But it’s possible. Either way Ohio State isn’t hurting for linebacker depth next year, which should help Pope get the development he needs.
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