Ohio State football: Pope still searching for regular role

The Ohio State football team would love nothing more than the linebacker to find a role on the team this year.

K’Vaughan Pope came to the Buckeyes as part of their second-ranked 2018 recruiting class. He was the number nine outside linebacker in the country, and was joined in the class by fellow linebackers Dallas Gant and Teradja Mitchell.

While Pope, Gant, and Mitchell showed their worth as valuable special teams members, they continued to fight for playing time. None were able to crack the starting line-up in their first three years, but the thinking was they’d take over as a group in 2021. Gant and Mitchell look poised to assume starting roles at the MIKE (middle) and WILL (weakside) positions. Pope was ready to step into the SAM (strongside) linebacker spot, but a change in the Ohio State defensive scheme looks to have derailed that thinking.

The Buckeyes decided to go to a 4-2-5 defense and utilize the Bullet position as a hybrid linebacker/safety, which will take the place of the full-time WILL linebacker. Because the coaching staff has decided to go with Craig Young at that spot, Pope looks to be relegated to a back-up role for yet another season. He worked at MIKE in spring practice, but with the emergence Cody Simon, it isn’t certain Pope will even be number two at that position.

Pope has shown flashes at times in the 31 games in which he’s appeared. He had interceptions in back-to-back games in 2019 against Maryland and Rutgers, and six total tackles as well in that Rutgers game. Defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs said Pope, along with Mitchell, played the best football he’s seen yet from them this spring since they joined the program. So, there is certainly hope the senior from Dinwiddie, Virginia will be able to find a regular role on the Ohio State defense in 2021.

When I look back through previous Ohio State football rosters, you see many guys who are like K’Vaughan Pope. Players who never managed to earn a starting job for one reason or another, but provide valuable, experienced depth.

They’re good football players who contribute to the success of the team in many other ways.