Auburn Football: 5 Takeaways from 2019 spring football

4. Owen Pappoe could earn early playing time

According to 247, five-star linebacker Owen Pappoe was the highest rated recruit in Auburn’s 2019 recruiting class. Bo Nix has received the most hype, but Pappoe might be just as impactful on the other side of the ball.

Pappoe enrolled early and immediately stood out during spring practices. He’s a freak athlete with exceptional speed, but he might need to bulk up in order to play a big role as a true freshman. He came into college at 210 pounds, but he’s listed at 219 now, meaning he’s already added some weight in the strength-and-conditioning program.

Pappoe is a versatile player who could fill a number of roles for Auburn’s defense next year. He worked as a second team outside linebacker for a good chunk of the spring, but he also took plenty of reps with the first team.

With Deshaun Davis gone, Auburn will sorely need an impact player to step up at linebacker. Rising junior K.J. Britt should be able to fill that role, but the Tigers will need others to step up in order to have quality depth in the middle.

Britt, Zakoby McClain, and Chandler Wooton already form a solid unit, but Pappoe is undoubtedly the most talented player of the group. It’s only a matter of time before he grabs a starting role, and smart money is on that happening sooner rather than later.