Notre Dame recruiting target Phillip Paea commits to Michigan

The sudden whirlwind nature Phillip Paea’s recruiting experience took on less than two months ago came to an end — or at least at drastic curtailment — with the Berrien Springs (Mich.) High School football standout’s commitment to Michigan on Saturday.

Notre Dame, Michigan State, Oregon and USC were among the suitors that had swelled in mid-February after the 6-foot-4, 282-pound two-way lineman garnered just a single offer, from BYU, up to that point.

The Irish, like Michigan, were recruiting the three-star prospect as a defensive tackle, but several other schools projected him as an offensive guard. Paea’s most recent unofficial visit to ND came March 18 for a junior day event.

Recruits can’t sign binding national letters-of-intent until Feb. 1.