Cardinals waive LB Owen Pappoe

Originally categorized as an outside linebacker during his recruitment, Pappoe (6’0/225) immediately moved off-ball where he started every game and received freshman All-American accolades from the FWAA in 2019. The two-time team captain tallied 256 tackles, 15.0 TFL, 8.0 sacks, and seven PBU as a fixture on the Auburn defense for the last four years. Pappoe closes on the ball in a flash and can stay with either running backs or tight ends in space, as is evidenced by his 77.7 PFF coverage grade. His 6.9 percent missed tackle rate last year is a superb mark and is indicative of Pappoe’s ability to finish despite being on the smaller side for the position. A plus athlete, he lit up the combine’s radar gun with a 99.9th percentile 4.39s 40-yard dash while also banging out 29 bench reps (96th%) for a very respectable 9.31 RAS. Pappoe isn’t going to stack linemen in the run game or bring consistent pressure up the middle, but he can cover a lot of ground and chase down ball carriers in a way most linebackers cannot thanks to his elite speed.

Pappoe (6'1/226) is one of Auburn’s best defensive players, and has opted to return to the team for one more run instead of leaving early for the 2022 NFL Draft. Pappoe appeared in only five games for the Tigers this season after missing most of the year with a lower body injury. In his five games played, Pappoe totaled 25 tackles and four quarterback pressures on 212 defensive snaps. In three seasons with the Tigers, he has totaled 148 tackles, 30 quarterback pressures and five sacks per Pro Football Focus, while forcing one fumble and one interception.

Pappoe (6'1/226) left Auburn’s Week 3 matchup against Penn State in the third quarter and did not return. He missed The Tigers’ Week 4 matchup against Georgia State. Head coach Bryan Harsin said of Pappoe on Wednesday that he was uncertain of whether or not he would be able to play in Saturday’s matchup at LSU. On the year, Pappoe has 14 tackles and four quarterback hurries according to Pro Football Focus. Last season he registered 62 total tackles and three sacks

While most vaccination related news is centered on players unwilling to take the vaccine, Bo Nix and a few other Auburn stars are going the other way. They’ll star in new PSA campaign from the Alabama Department of Public Health encouraging people to get the vaccination. The ADPH is signing players from all over Alabama to participate, and vaccine shots will be offered to fans that attend the Auburn vs. Georgia State game on September 25th.

Pappoe (6'1/209) is a five-star talent who has been compared to Alabama LB Dylan Moses. ESPN’s Tom Luginbill said the two have “physical traits you can’t coach” and that was on display at a recruiting event in 2018 when Pappoe put up a 40-inch vertical and ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. That side-to-side speed will eventually make him one of the better backers in the country.

Rivals actually lists Pappoe as a four-star player, but he’s a five-star prospect to both ESPN and 247 Sports, so we’ll round up. “I’ll go with Georgia for Pappoe because it is the home school and have had so much recruiting momentum overall and with the star linebacker,” Farrell writes. “He’s been linked to them for the longest time.” Georgia already has one of the best recruiting classes in the sport -- again -- and adding an impact player like Pappoe would just be more icing on the cake.

Tigers HC Gus Malzahn swoops into Kirby Smart’s backyard to pluck away a huge commit. The 6-foot-1, 209-pound Pappoe hails from Loganville, Georgia. ESPN’s Tom Luginbill notes that the linebacker’s game is predicated on “speed, speed, speed and more speed” and sees a little in his game both of former Auburn edge rusher Jeff Holland and current Alabama LB Dylan Moses. Look for him to see the field early in his collegiate career. Luginbill, for one, does not believe Pappoe will be requiring a freshman redshirt. On the ESPN 300, the linebacker ranks as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2019 class.

“Pappoe is actually ahead of where Moses was at the same stage in terms of instincts for the position, but the measurables, speed and range are eerily similar,” Luginbill writes, adding that "[b]oth players are uniquely gifted with physical traits you can’t coach.” He notes that the 6-foot-1, 209-pound Auburn commit comes with a jetpack attached, repeatedly raving about his speed in his breakdown. Pappoe lands on the ESPN 300 at No. 8 overall for the 2019 cycle.

Pappoe comes in fourth on ESPN’s list of the top 300 players for 2019, and number one among outside linebackers. “Pappoe could be the next big linebacker from Georgia,” they write. “He already has been in the recruiting process for quite some time, gaining offers early in his high school career.” The 6-foot, 212-pound linebacker has reportedly narrowed his list to Georgia, Clemson and Auburn, but he’ll take visits to Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan this spring. He reportedly would like to commit before the season starts, so as Haubert and VanHaaren note, those visits this spring could be big.