Ohio State senior linebacker K’Vaughan Pope left the No. 10 Buckeyes’ game against Akron on Saturday out of apparent frustration after he was waved off a play in the first half. Pope, who was considered a potential starter for the Buckeyes entering the season, has played mostly as a reserve.
Pope returned to the sideline briefly after the play at issue but had an apparent exchange with linebackers coach Al Washington. The veteran linebacker then threw his gloves into the crowd at Ohio Stadium, according to Eleven Warriors. He then retired to the locker room and posted on Twitter shortly after.
Pope also posted another tweet with vulgarity directed at Ohio State: “f— ohio state.” That has since been deleted.
Pope was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2018 but entered the season with just 16 career tackles while playing mostly on special teams. Though listed on Ohio State’s two-deep depth chart, Pope is behind linebackers Cody Simon and Tommy Eichenberg for playing time.
If he decides to quit the team or is dismissed or suspended, his loss wouldn’t be devastating for Ohio State. But it would be a hit to the program’s depth, and his displeasure is a bit unpleasant bit of drama for a defense that has struggled at times early in the season. The Buckeyes were knocked off at home by Oregon in Week 2 and struggled to defend the pass in a 44-20 win over Tulsa on Sept. 18.
