Owen Pappoe reveals final three

If you follow high school football recruiting, then you have been hearing and reading about

Owen Pappoe for about three years now. He is three months into his junior year at Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, so he still has another year and half to go before he graduates.

Pappoe started picking up scholarship offers when he was in middle school and he has pulled in well over 4o offers.

The 6-foot-2, 202 pound linebacker has been taking visits to college campuses since he was a freshman, so he is ahead of where many his age are with the recruiting process. He is planning to make a decision in the near future and he has narrowed his list down to three schools.

"My top three schools are Clemson, Georgia and Nebraska," said Pappoe. "It was not easy to cut my list down and I thought about a lot of schools, but those are my top three and I see myself committing to one when I make my decision."

At one time early in 2017, it looked like Alabama was the favorite. Then the momentum shifted to Florida State behind the scenes in the spring. Neither of those two made the cut.

It may have surprised some.

"It was tough. There are a lot of great schools that offered me and I have a lot of great relationships with coaches from schools that did not make the list.

"I just had to make a decision and cut some great schools from the list. I feel good about the ones of it. All three have had my attention for a long time."

Pappoe has visited Clemson eight times, he has been in Athens (Ga.) more times than he can count, so those two schools were expected to be on this list. Nebraska is the one that may stand out or look a little odd next to those two schools that are within 90 minutes of Pappoe's home.

The No. 19-ranked prospect in the country breaks down his final three.

CLEMSON: "Clemson is one of the top power programs in the country. They are putting players into the NFL, they are winning a lot and I like the coaches there. I love how they are recruiting, the type of players they are bringing in and I do not see them slowing down at all.

"They like me as their outside linebacker that they move around and I could see myself being very successful in that position, so how I could be used there stands out to me too."

GEORGIA: "The stuff they have been talking to me about for the last year, I am literally seeing it play out right now. They have talked to me about their team, their defense and a lot of times coaches just talk, but with Georgia, they are showing it. The way their team is now compared to what it was means a lot to me.

"I have a great relationship with inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann too. He and I talk a lot, we really have a strong connection, so having the chance to play for him would be great for me too."

NEBRASKA: "I don't think many expected Nebraska to make it. I have only visited there once when I was there in the summer, but it made a big impact on me. They made sure I knew that I was welcome and that they really wanted me.

"I really like it over there. I spent a couple of nights there, and it was not just the coaches, but the players made me feel comfortable too. I have a good friend,

Mohamed Barry(who played at Grayson) there too, so that helps them. He has told me a lot about Nebraska.

"Coach [Trent] Bray (linebackers) is a great coach, he really knows what he is talking about and he is just a cool guy."

Pappoe named a top three, but there is one more school lurking if something changes. Auburn is the next school in line due to linebackers coach Travis Williams. He is the coach Pappoe said he has the best relationship with at this time.

The two talk often, they rarely talk football and the Tigers are not completely out of this race despite not being named as a finalist.

The Tigers, Bulldogs and Huskers look to be in a prime spot for one of the best in 2019. Many speculate there is a favorite down deep or an order of the three schools, Pappoe said there is not.

"Right now all three schools have the same chance," said Pappoe. "Some think I have a top school, or even an order to the three schools, but I do not.

"I am working on that though. I want to have a true order, a true favorite and begin to really think hard about committing in the next couple of months."

He knows it will not be an easy decision, but it is something he welcomes it. Winning is important to him, but it is not No. 1 on his list when he makes that decision.

"It is going to be tough to figure this out, but I do want to commit early. I am not so much worried about winning a national championship first, but what I am looking for mainly are coaches who are going to look out for me, who care for me and who want the best for me.

"The smallest things will be what separates the schools from each other. It is not about the depth charts because every player who goes to one of these school has to compete to play. It will be about trust, who I feel best around and the smallest things that help me make my decision."

Pappoe did not ever think he would put his top three schools out publicly. His plan was to keep it to himself and to just commit to a school one day without ever had publicly narrowed his list.

He is a spontaneous young man, so although his plan is to commit early in 2018 as of today, that could always change. There is one thing that is obvious when speaking to Pappoe — he cannot wait to be certain about where he wants his next home to be.

"I do want to commit as soon as I know where I want to go," said Pappoe. "I want to be a kid again. I just want to be normal. I want to get rid of the stress for a little while.

"I am very happy about where I am, but it is not easy. I know as soon as I commit, a lot of stress will be relieved, so I can't wait for that day. I see it happening pretty soon."