Seeing the field early is key for Pope

Buford (Ga.) athlete Jake Pope recently narrowed things down to 14 programs. The 34th-ranked player at his position has an impressive list of potential suitors, but he admits that it's going to be difficult to narrow things down again because of the effort they are all giving on the recruiting trail and the lack of in-person contact and visits.

"All 14 of them talk to me a ton," Pope said. "Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan State have been very active in communication, but they are all keeping in touch."

Pope said that he will eventually, "in a month or so," trim his top schools list down to "three or five" before committing.

"I really want to wait until the NCAA's dead period is lifted so I can take visits," Pope said. "I will decide after that."

Pope also holds notable offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, among several others.

Ole Miss signed two of Pope's high school teammates, Carter Colquitt and Reece McIntyre, and the two current Rebels have not shied away from making their case for him to join them in Oxford.

"I played with both Carter and Reece when I was a freshman," Pope said. "When I got the offer they reached out to tell me 'congrats' and 'you know where to go,'" Pope said.

Pope plays both receiver and safety for Buford, but he said he primarily hears from one side of the ball's coaches right now.

"It's mostly defensive coaches right now," Pope said. "But they also admit that they will allow me to make my case for both sides of the ball when I get on campus."

Pope made plays on both sides of the ball as a junior, but one of Ole Miss' co-defensive coordinator keeps in touch with him about playing safety at Ole Miss.

"He loves how I play the game close to the line of scrimmage and in coverage," Pope said. "Coach(Chris) Partridge tells me my film shows I can play both ways but him and most coaches will give me the option if I prove myself worthy."

As a junior, Pope had four interceptions and 63 tackles for a Buford team that won the 6A state title and finished with a 13-1 record.

Pope also mentioned the ability to see the field early at Ole Miss and how that is a huge factor in his decision moving forward.

"Seeing the field early is big whether it's offense or defense," Pope said. "And if I want to play receiver, the offense is even more crucial."

Pope is taking things day-by-day, but thinks that he will have some more clarity in the next month or two.