Georgia Football Recruiting: 2019 Prospect LB Owen Pappoe
Georgia Football is going to be recruiting the best players in the country for the 2019 class. Owen Pappoe is a linebacker that everyone in the country wants, not just Georgia.
Who said there was such as thing as a ‘lull’ in recruiting. Yes UGA just landed the best class in their history but recruiting never stops. Not for this Georgia Football team and certainly not for Kirby Smart. With G-Day on the horizon, we’re going to start a quick little series about some of the potential 2019 recruits that Dawg fans could be cheering for one day.
In case you were wondering, I’m going to be writing A LOT about defensive players. That’s because while there are some offensive weapons out there right now, the 2019 class is loaded with defensive talent. That’s particularly true in the front 7, which is great, because that’s exactly where UGA needs to load up. We started with two defensive line prospects in Bill Norton and Travon Walker. Now we’re looking at linebackers.
Owen Pappoe is a name that recruiting experts have been following for a very long time. Mark Richt offered him before he even played a high school game. He lit up the local Nike camp circuit when he was a Freshman in high school. In short, he’s a rare athlete that every school wants to sign. But can Georgia land a player who might be an in state talent, but the entire country knows about?
Looking at the tape:
We’ll start by looking at his play. When you put on the film, there is no doubt why Pappoe is such a big deal to recruiting experts. The guy is just explosive all over the field. He’s a bit smaller than I was expecting, considering the hype, but it honestly doesn’t matter. The guy literally makes plays all over the place.
While he plays OLB at Grayson high school, his size likely means he’ll move inside at the next level. That might sound surprising, but Pappoe is actually perfectly suited to play one of the ILB roles in Kirby Smart’s defense. We’ve talked a lot about players who could fill the ‘Roquan Smith role’, since Smith declared for the NFL draft. In terms of physical tools, none have a better chance to do that than Pappoe. The guy really is a freak of an athlete. He really does look like Roqaun in coverage sometimes, it’s kind of scary.
The one criticism I have heard of Pappoe is that he can take plays off sometimes. It’s not that he has a poor motor by any means, rather that he just doesn’t look at every play like it’s his last. That’s not the end of the world for a kid this talented playing on a team that is one of the powerhouse of Georgia high school football. Kirby Smart won’t let him slack in Athens that’s for sure.
But the talent and the football instincts are just off the charts. Much like Jadon Haselwood, Pappoe glides around the football field effortlessly. He makes everyone around him look like they are moving in slow motion at times. Most of the kids he plays with will get college scholarships, yet you can see Pappoe from a mile away. The guy is just that good.
Could we see him in Athens?
Is Pappoe a ‘must get’ for Kirby Smart? I don’t know about that. UGA loaded up on linebacker this past signing day. Quay Walker and Channing Tindall could both end up being better than Pappoe. They have more size and while neither is as athletic, both can fly around the field.
Ultimately though, there is a reason that Kirby Smart has personally made Pappoe a priority. There’s a reason his wife chats to Owen when he’s in Athens for games and why Nolan Smith is working hard to get Pappoe to become a Dawg. He’s a special player and he brings something nobody else can to the position.
Pappoe is being chased by every program out there right now. Georgia and Clemson seem like the two teams to beat when it comes to his recruitment. I don’t think there is a guy that Kirby is working harder on than Pappoe and that’s why I think that when it’s all said and done, he ends up in Athens.
Next: Check out some favourites at the NFL Combine
Pappoe has said that he wants to make a decision before the summer so that he can enjoy his final season of high school football. After being chased by Universities for more than 4 years, that makes a lot of sense. If he picks the Dawgs, he could end up being the crown jewel of this class, even with all the other talent that is committed. That tells you all you need to know about why Kirby is fighting so hard to win this one.