Freshmen Kevin Pope and Darryl Fields split their time in SMU’s spring workouts between drills with the Mustangs’ running backs and linebackers, with the assumption that one would move to defense.

The wait is over. Pope is now a linebacker, he said.

Pope, who played both positions at Mount Enterprise (Texas) High School, said the decision made by the coaching staff didn’t necessarily surprise him, and he relishes the opportunity that awaits him.

Kevin Pope is now a linebacker, although he said that if necessary, he could help out at running back, too (photo by David Mojica).

“I know had a pretty good spring at linebacker,” he said. “Now I have to see how I can contribute.”

Pope worked with the defense at the MIKE linebacker spot, the inside position currently occupied by junior-to-be Taylor Reed and backup Randall Joyner (who also got some time in spring workouts backing up Cameron Rogers at the BUCK linebacker position). The coaches evaluated his performance at linebacker — and considered the fact that Zach Line, Conference USA’s leading rusher in 2010, likely will get the bulk of the carries again next season — and informed Pope of the move after spring workouts were completed.

“We came to the conclusion that (the move) gives me the best opportunity to get on the field,” Pope said. “I worked this spring on all of the special teams, and started on the punt team, but I’ll play anywhere to get on the field. The coaches even said that if the running backs get in a bind, I could play there, too.”

Pope admitted that the transition initially left him feeling a little overwhelmed, but said that the more he practiced with the defense, the more he caught on.

“When I first started over there (at linebacker), I felt lost,” he said. “But after I started learning the scheme, I started to pick it up.

“I asked ‘T-Reed’ a whole bunch of questions, and he heled a lot — he’s a pretty good teacher. Having someone who has played the position like he has is helpful. The coaches explain everything pretty well, but (Reed) is out there doing it. He knows what’s going on, and he can help with a lot of things, like reading blocks.”

Pope’s assignments — and the defense, itself — are different from those he played in high school. The Mount Enterprise defense was a 5-2 formation (five defensive linemen and two linebackers). Pope lined up on the strong side, but had a lot of freedom to roam inside and outside while chasing the ball carrier.

Defensive coordinator Tom Mason said he was impressed by how quickly Pope picked up the first elements of playing linebacker in Mason’s defense.

“Kevin played some linebacker in high school, but he’s a lot more instinctual than I thought he would be,” Mason said. “He’s a pretty fast learner, too, and the difference between his first week (at linebacker) and his second was like night and day.”

Pope said the move to defense did not alter what the coaches want him to do in terms of his offseason strength and conditioning work.

“Coach Mason said he wanted me to come back in August just like I am,” said Pope, who says he now carries 222 pounds on his 5-foot-10-inch frame. “I don’t want to get bigger or smaller — just faster and stronger.”

The Mustangs have a glut of linebackers. They lost two — Pete Fleps and Youri Yenga — to graduation, but even without the true freshmen who will arrive in August, there are several players who have moved to linebacker from other positions in the last year, including Joyner, Cody Worthen and Randy McKinnon (each of whom entered last year’s camp as a safety). Nonetheless, Pope said he isn’t fazed by the challenge of competition.

“There are a lot of guys there, but I don’t know a lot yet,” he said. “I have some catching up to do. But there is some similarity between the defense I played in high school and what we do in this defense. In high school, we were always reading the guards, and that’s what Coach Mason wants in this defense, too. So some of it should come pretty naturally.”

Mason agrees with Pope’s assessment that some of the requirements of the new position seem fairly natural for Pope.

“Kevin has something you can’t teach, and that’s the ability to accelerate into contact,” Mason said. “In all the years I have been coaching, I might have had six guys who had that. He’s got a way to go, but he’s got a lot of potential to be a good linebacker.”