The spring period may be over, but as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for summer workouts and fall camp, they’re still looking to add talent to their defense.
On Friday, former Michigan and Utah State transfer defenisve lineman Phillip Paea received an offer from [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners. Paea transferred to Utah State after spending four seasons with the Michigan Wolverines where he appeared in just three games.
The former On3 four-star prospect transferred to Utah State and was a starter along the defensive line during the Aggies Mountain West championship run in 2021. Paea started the first three games of the 2022 season before suffering a season-ending ACL tear.
Paea collected 14 total tackles and two tackles for loss in 2021. In three games in 2022, he had two total tackles and an interception.
Blessed to receive and offer from The University of Oklahoma @CoachToddBates pic.twitter.com/Zhu2uSyCVM
— Phill_Paea (@Phill_paea) May 26, 2023
Paea was a coveted prospect in the 2017 signing classes, earning offers from Michigan, BYU, Michigan State, Oregon, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Miami, USC, Utah and Washington State.
Oklahoma has added a pair of defensive linemen via the transfer portal: [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag]. The Sooners are hoping to improve a defensive line that struggled against the run in 2022. If they’re able to add Paea, he would give them another piece to their defensive tackle rotation, joining Jordan Kelley, Isaiah Coe, Jonah Laulu, Sears and Lacey.
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