Ryan Day addresses Buckeyes linebacker K’Vaughan Pope exit, Twitter outburst

Ohio State picked up a 59-7 win over Akron on Saturday night in Columbus. But Buckeyes linebacker K’Vaughan Pope’s exit was the bigger story, as he had to be escorted off to the locker room after an outburst on the sidelines. The drama began when he appeared to head back to the locker room on his own, but was then brought back to the sidelines where he started to take off his jersey.

The senior did not stop there, however, as he took to social media to voice his displeasure.

“Fucc Ohio State,” he wrote on Twitter and later deleted. “Good lucc to my teammates.”

This is just the latest drama in the Ohio State linebackers room. Earlier this week, veteran linebacker Dallas Gant entered the transfer portal. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day had a chance to comment on the situation in his postgame press conference on Saturday night.

“Someone just kind of told me about the tweet,” Day said. “I am going to get all the details about everything that just happened before I say anything there.”

Day was asked later more on Pope’s actions.

“No, it’s just that a lot of guys, they want to play and you can’t play everybody,” he said. “And frustration kicks in.  Again, I don’t want to comment on that particular situation, but I certainly think it’s very isolated.”

Day was also asked about what has transpired in the room over the last week, specifically Gant leaving the program.

“In today’s day and age, a guy can leave after four games because they can redshirt and if they want to go into the portal, that’s their prerogative,” he said.

Pope has showed his not-so-subtle displeasure on playing time on social media before. He has played in 33 games with the Buckeyes, but he has never carved out a starting role on the unit. He did flash a couple years ago with a pair of interceptions, showing the athleticism that made him a four-star prospect in the class of 2018. 

How Ryan Day, K’Vaughan Pope got here

Per Lettermen Row‘s Austin Ward, the senior was trying to run out on the field in a substitution package when he was waved off by teammate Teradja Mitchell. Once getting back to the sideline, a visibly upset Pope started walking down the sideline by himself and was heading back to the locker room on his own. 

Eventually corralled by Buckeyes staffer C.J. Barnett in the south end zone, Pope was guided back to the sideline. Once there, however, Pope took off his gloves and threw them into the stands and began removing his Ohio State jersey — which apparently caught the attention of coach Ryan Day. After another conversation with multiple staffers, Pope was then led to the locker room while the game was ongoing.