麻花视频

For this particular spring practice at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, though, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver wasn鈥檛 the athlete Virginia originally trekked south to see.

鈥淚 had a day. I caught a couple of good balls,鈥� Cope told The Daily Progress.

He became hard not to notice.

Cope said UVa running backs coach Keith Gaither was in attendance to recruit Hewitt-Trussville running back Deuce Alston 鈥� who was uncommitted then but is now a Kentucky pledge 鈥� and Gaither ultimately ended up watching Cope more closely. Gaither coached wide receivers earlier in his career at Army, East Carolina and Ball State, so he knows how to scout wide receivers.

鈥淗e saw me practicing, called [UVa wide receivers coach Adam] Mims and told him that they have to offer me,鈥� Cope said.

The Hoos offered Cope, he locked in an official visit for mid-June and on Wednesday, Cope committed to UVa. He became the ninth commit the Cavaliers鈥� 2026 recruiting class.

鈥淰irginia had not only good coaches, but good people,鈥� Cope said. 鈥淚 thought they were very good people and that the player-to-coach relationships they have were good as well.鈥�

Mims, a native of Birmingham, was the lead recruiter on Cope, and laid out a plan for the pass-catcher. Cope said Mims sees him beginning his career with the Cavaliers as an outside receiver and as he develops, he will add the ability to play inside receiver as well.

This past fall for Hewitt-Trussville, Cope tallied 40 catches for 504 yards and five touchdowns. In 2023, he made 41 grabs for 400 yards and three scores.

鈥淎nd Coach Mims showed me some of the players he鈥檚 coached and some of the players he鈥檚 brought through the program as well,鈥� Cope said. 鈥淗e proved to me he鈥檚 a good coach and he鈥檚 a good person as well.鈥�

Notably, former UVa wide receivers Malik Washington and Malachi Fields thrived under Mims鈥� watch.

Cope said he believes his best attribute as a receiver is his knack for making deep-ball grabs.

鈥淚 could also be a third-down receiver,鈥� he said.

Before deciding on the Hoos, Cope said, he also considered Georgia, Tulane and Memphis.

It didn鈥檛 hurt UVa鈥檚 chances that defensive lineman Hunter Osborne, a Hewitt-Trussville graduate, could vouch for the Cavaliers鈥� coaching staff and give Cope a sense of what the program is like from a player鈥檚 perspective.

鈥淸Osborne] pretty much said exactly what I had thought in that they have good coaches who are investing in the program and players,鈥� Cope said, 鈥渁nd that he expected them to have a very good season this year.鈥�

Cope too believes, he said, in fourth-year coach Tony Elliott鈥檚 plan to turn the Cavaliers into winners. They鈥檝e had three straight losing years in the first three years of Elliott鈥檚 tenure.

鈥淚 think even this year they鈥檒l be good and when I get there, we鈥檒l be even better,鈥� Cope said.

He said he really appreciated meeting Elliott and that Elliott reminds Cope of his father because of how their values and backgrounds aligned.

鈥淚 saw a great guy in Coach Elliott,鈥� Cope said.

Cope is thrilled his decision has been made, he said. Now, he can focus on his senior campaign with Hewitt-Trussville, a regular power in Alabama.

鈥淚t was very important because I wanted to make sure I could go into the season without having to think about which college I鈥檒l be attending,鈥� Cope said.