The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes feature an elite edge rusher in junior defensive lineman Kylen Pope. At 6’3″ and 228 lbs., the national recruit with 49 offers is a destructive force up front, dominating the line of scrimmage this fall.
Pope recently showcased his incredible athleticism, earning a spot on the top 10 plays of the week. In a jaw-dropping sequence, Pope picked off a pass at the line of scrimmage, then violently stiff-armed the Allatoona quarterback, planting him into the ground on his way to a highlight-reel pick-six touchdown.
That kind of explosive play is just a glimpse of the production he’s putting together this year.
“Halfway through the season, I’m feeling great,” Pope said. “I think we have a strong team and a great coaching staff to keep pushing us to a state championship.”
Through the mid-season mark, Cartersville is undefeated and the unanimous #1 team in Class 5A. In the process, Pope’s statistical impact has been massive, totaling 43 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in blowout games where he didn’t play all four quarters.
That high-level output stems from an advanced understanding of the game. Pope plays with textbook fundamentals, which makes sense, considering his father, Kyle Pope, coaches edge rushers at Georgia Tech. The junior is incredibly powerful at the point of attack, utilizing strong hands and elite leverage to scrape off blocks. He lives in the backfield.
When asked where he has grown the most this season, the highly-touted junior pointed to his mental processing.
“Me personally, I feel like I have improved a lot on my on-field focus and really slowing the game down,” Pope explained. “I learned the ability to slow the game down and recognize plays before they even happen!”
With almost 50 Division I offers already on the table, Pope is one of the most coveted defensive recruits in the country. He noted that he is currently hearing heavily from Miami, LSU, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Georgia, and Louisville.
The junior has also been active on the recruiting trail, taking recent campus visits to Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Miami. No doubt, his recruitment will be one to follow as we draw closer and closer to a decision over the next 12 months.
For now, Cartersville has championship ambitions, and that will occupy most of the focus for the dynamic 2028 pass-rusher for now, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to hear latest on Cartersville great football season and standout players like Pope, plus more players from across the state of Georgia.
