Pope always dreamed of being a Florida Gator

The early kickoff on Saturday for the Florida Gators limited the out of state prospects that were able to visit Gainesville on Saturday but a few found a way to get into town.

2018 athlete K’Vaughan Pope (6-2, 210, Dinwiddie, VA. County) was one of those guys and he enjoyed his first in the Swamp.

“It was pretty cool, it was more than I expected,” Pope said. “It was a visit that I was looking forward to and it was loud in the stadium. The atmosphere was pretty intense. The defense played lights out.”

Pope visited Gainesville this summer and picked up a Florida offer and the Gators are a school that has always had his attention.

“I just always wanted to be a Gator,” he said on what makes him want to keep visiting Florida. “I grew liking Florida a lot and it has just been my dream school since I was little.”

The 2018 athlete plays everywhere in high school but he says the Gators have already told him where they see him playing in the future.

“They say they want me at linebacker here,” Pope said. “I know Coach Shannon is a good linebacker coach and he’s coached Ray Lewis. He’s a great coach and I know he can help you get into the pro’s.”

Florida has two coaches who are familiar with the Virginia area recruiting Pope including defensive backs coach Torrian Gray.

“Coach Gray and Coach [Mark] DeBastiani are the two coaches recruiting me,” he said. “Coach Gray tells me to keep coming back and talking to him. He wants me to join the program.”

Pope who already has double digit offers has only taken a handful of visits this fall and he says he’s no rush to make a decision.

“I’ve been to Clemson and West Virginia this fall,” Pope said. “I don’t have any leaders right now. I plan on making my decision after my senior day.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: Pope says he plans to visit Florida for a junior day this spring and right now the Gators seem to be in great shape for the talented athlete.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.