A Michigan native, Phillip Paea’s time wearing maize and blue was spent mostly behind the scenes.
A mixture of injuries and those ahead of him on the depth chart kept him from seeing the field in Ann Arbor, so once he was healthy, he opted to seek a new beginning, transferring to Utah State — along with fellow defensive teammate, cornerback Hunter Reynolds.
After two years at Utah State, Paea is on the move again. He announced in late-May that he had earned an offer from Oklahoma. On Saturday, he announced he was making good on that offer, committing to the Sooners.
| For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. | Jeremiah 29:11 | #COMMITTED @OU_Football @CoachToddBates pic.twitter.com/Tm33SleQTu
— Phill_Paea (@Phill_paea) June 3, 2023
Though never teammates with him, Paea joins former Michigan receiver Andrel Anthony in Norman.
In 2022, Paea appeared in three games; he notched two tackles and an interception. In 2021, he appeared in 14 games with 14 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Paea has been in college football for some time, as he was a part of Michigan’s 2017 class — making 2023 his seventh season. According to his Twitter account, he has two years of eligibility remaining.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal title=”An offer for Wolverines fans” description=”For the best local Detroit news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.” url=”https://subscribe.freep.com/offers?gps-source=CPSMGMIDARTICLE&utm_source=smg&utm_medium=inline&utm_content=wolverineswire&utm_campaign=smgtolocal” button_text=”$1 for 3 months”]