Auburn's Owen Pappoe announces plans to enter the NFL Draft
AUBURN — Owen Pappoe’s career at Auburn is officially coming to an end. Pappoe, a former five-star recruit, announced his plans to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. He did so on the same day that Derick Hall and Colby Wooden made the same announcements.
Pappoe will end his college career with 256 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
“It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited to see what the future has for me,” Pappoe said in a letter shared via social media.
Pappoe was recruited and signed by former linebacker coach Travis Williams and former head coach Gus Malzahn.
Pappoe finished with 49 tackles during his freshman season in 2019. In 2020, Pappoe continued his ascent with 93 tackles as a sophomore. His junior season was riddled with injuries forcing him to miss significant time. Pappoe returned in 2022 and finished with 91 tackles while being named a Butkus Award Semifinalist.
Replacing Owen Pappoe
While Pappoe battled injuries, he was a consistent player for the Auburn defense last season. The Tigers will have some serious rebuilding to do at the linebacker position entering the spring of 2023.
| Current | Year Entering 2023 |
| Cam Riley | Senior |
| Wesley Steiner | Senior |
| Eugene Asante | Senior |
| Desmond Tisdol | Senior |
| Robert Woodyard Jr. | Sophomore |
| Powell Gordon | RS Freshman |
| Jake Levant | Junior |
| Jonathan LeGrand (WO) | Senior |
| Kameron Brown (WO) | Senior |
| Terrance Love (commitment) | Freshman |
