Pappoe has hit the pause button
Owen Pappoe almost committed early in 2017 and he even thought about it once or twice in 2016. He has been very close on at least a couple of occasions, then he announced that he would commit in December 2017 in the fall.
On Halloween, the 6-foot-1, 202 pound linebacker out of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson announced a top three of Clemson, Georgia and Nebraska.
There was a coaching change in Lincoln earlier this month and the Huskers are now out of the race for the No. 15 prospect in the country.
Pappoe is no longer planning to commit in 2017 either.
"Nebraska kind of shook things up and I do not want to make a decision until I know 120-percent that the school is right for me, so I am slowing things down," said Pappoe. "I just do not want to rush this. I still have plenty of time to make the right decision, so I have a new plan."
What he wants to do now is, take three official visits to schools in the spring, then his last two in the fall and make his decision late in 2018. He is an early enrollee, so Pappoe said, "I know I am now on the clock."
A school that some felt Pappoe was leaning to very early in the process has re-entered this race despite having a coaching change.
"Alabama is back in this. Even though coach [Jeremy] Pruitt has moved on to Tennessee, I have a great relationship with Tosh Lupoi and Alabama is a school I am looking at harder now.
"I have been talking to Tosh about twice a week lately and I just have new interest in them. We talk about the next defensive coordinator and how it will be a great hire by coach [Nick] Saban, how they develop guys and things like that."
Alabama's rival, Auburn is another school high on Pappoe's list. Linebackers coach Travis Williams is the main reason why the Tigers are in this.
With the emergence of Alabama and Auburn in the top group, those two and all schools are trailing two close to home.
"Clemson and Georgia are my top two schools," said Pappoe. "I have visited both schools a bunch, I have great relationships with multiple coaches on each staff and I know they are going to be on my list until I make my decision."
Pappoe predicts Dabo Swinney and his Tigers to repeat as national champions in 2018. He sees Clemson defeating Georgia in the finals.
When asked about his top two, Pappoe said they are "similar" schools and a lot is the same other than how they want to use him in their defensive scheme. Clemson likes him more as a defensive back and Georgia wants him at inside linebacker.
Although he has two favorites, the national recruit is nowhere near a decision [right now]. He is going to give other schools a chance and one is Tennessee. He is set to visit Knoxville in January.
"I am looking at Tennessee, Ohio State, LSU and Auburn for visits in 2018. I may take official visits to a few of those, but nothing is set yet.
"The only visit I know of right now is an unofficial visit to Tennessee January 13. I talked to coach Pruitt a lot when he was at Alabama, so I have a good relationship with him and I want to see how is going to do things there.
"I know he is going to take a lot of what he did at Alabama, so he is probably going to change things there."
As we close out 2017, Pappoe is thinking he will announce his decision during the early signing period in 2018. That is almost a year from now. Can he wait that long?
"With me, you never know," said Pappoe with a laugh. "My mind is always going and I am always changing my mind. I could just up and commit one day if I feel I am ready.
"The main reason I have not committed to anyone yet is because I do not want to be a guy who commits, decommitts and then commits again. I want to know for sure, so when I feel that way, I will commit."