Auburn linebacker and two-time team captain Owen Pappoe is headed to the next level.

The xx picked him 168 overall in the fifth round of the 2023 National Football League Draft.

Pappoe was a 5-star recruit by ESPN and 247 in the 2019 class entering Auburn when Guz Malzhan was the Tigers’ head coach. It didn’t take long for Pappoe to hit the field at Auburn. He started all 13 games in 2019 while posting 49 tackles and three tackles for loss.

The 6-1, 225-pound linebacker had 93 tackles in 2020 during his sophomore season. He also racked up six tackles for loss and three sacks.

High expectations for Pappoe in 2021 got dashed in State College during a loss against Penn State. Pappoe got injured and missed three games with a leg injury. Several draft boards ranked Pappoe high on their preseason lists, but the injury caused him to return for the 2022 season.

Pappoe bounced back in 2022 with 91 tackles and three sacks. He showed the athleticism that earned him the nickname “The Freak” when he left high school. His best last season was a 16-tackle performance in a loss against Ole Miss. Pappoe left Auburn with 256 tackles.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group