Former Michigan football offensive lineman transfers to Oklahoma

Today, former Michigan football offensive lineman Phillip Paea, a member of Jim Harbaugh’s 2017 recruiting class and a long-time Wolverine, announced that he will be heading to Big 12 country for his final season of college football this fall. Paea initially committed to Michigan back in 2016, and now, after making a stop at Utah State in the middle, he is headed to Oklahoma to play for the Sooners in 2023.

| 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

As a recruit in the 2017 recruiting class, Phillip Paea was a four-star interior offensive line prospect, ranking just inside the nation’s top 350 recruits. Additionally, he was ranked as the No. 23 interior offensive lineman and the No. 9 recruit in the state of Michigan. He initially committed on April 2nd, 2016, and saw four years of action in the Maize and Blue before transferring to Utah State.

As a Wolverine, the former Michigan football offensive lineman was a one-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a two-year letterman in the Maize and Blue. Phillip Paea made his Michigan debut in 2018; despite not seeing much playing time over his years in Ann Arbor, he did manage to see more in-game action throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons before heading elsewhere.

After a successful stint with Utah State, Paea is coming back to the Power Five ranks to play for the rebuilding Oklahoma Sooners, who struggled their way to a 6-7 finish during the 2022 season but are trending in the right direction at the moment and could experience revitalization in the years to come.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!