Auburn head coach Gus Malzhn knew he had another defensive weapon coming to the Plains when 5-star Owen Pappoe made his commitment to the Tigers on May 1 of last year.
In his weekly press conference this past Tuesday, Malzahn spoke highly of the true freshman, saying that he “had high expectations after the spring for Owen, and he’s handled it well every time he’s out there.”
The true freshman has earned not only the respect of his coaching staff, but that of his fellow defensive starters.
“He’s been getting better each and every week," senior safety Daniel Thomas said of Pappoe.
Thomas, who currently has the second-most tackles across the Tiger defense, also added that Pappoe has shown maturity and understanding of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's system beyond his years.
“(Pappoe) being out there, being able to make calls like he’s been out there for as long as I have — the sky’s the limit for him, honestly," Thomas said, "He’s got a lot of potential.”
Pappoe, a 6-foot-1 product of Grayson, Georgia, has recorded eight tackles across his first three games, and will look to add to that total Saturday in his first SEC road trip against No. 17 Texas A&M.
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