Lynn Katoa, a 6-foot-2, 220 pound linebacker from Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, finished his junior season with 109 total tackles, 90 were solos and a staggering 60 were for loss. He also had 13 sacks.
"I move well sideline-to-sideline," Katoa said. "I just get the job done. I have great speed (says he can run a 4.6 40) and play hard and that's why I had 60 tackles for loss. I think speed beats power and I also have great technique and don't let anybody beat me."
Katoa says one of the biggest things he needs to work on is "knowing the game" better. "I want to read the offensive lineman better and not flinch or blink and give anything away," he said. "I also want to work on staying low when tackling."
He benches 315 pounds, squats 335 and has a 30-inch vertical jump.
Katoa has seven scholarship offers, but his clear-cut favorite, Texas, hasn't offered yet. The Longhorns lead solidly for Katoa over Colorado, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and USC. Of those, only Texas and USC have not offered. He also said he has offers from Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, BYU and Utah.
"I will commit before my school year starts," Katoa said. "I want to decide early and if Texas offers, I'll consider it."
He's confident the Longhorns will offer. "I think they will be offering soon," he said. "They said that I look really good on film and they said they love my hustle and speed. Coach Mack Brown was on vacation and he needs to see my film. They said they'll call me tomorrow on Monday (March 19), so hopefully they'll have some good news for me.
"I love that Texas is always a top team," Katoa said. "They play great and have amazing fans and tradition."
His first scholarship offer came in January from Colorado. "They were a powerhouse when I was a kid," Katoa said. "They are working their way back up. They are up-and-coming and the new coaching staff should get them back on track."
Katoa doesn't plan on attending any summer camps or combines. "I think I've proven myself," he said. However, he does intend on taking a lot of unofficial visits. "I'll try to take as many unofficial visits during the spring and summer as possible. I'll visit USC for sure this spring. They said they like my film and that they really want to see me in person, so I'm hoping to make it to one of their spring practices.
"I want to make sure the school takes care of their players and that they have good academic support and tutors," Katoa said. "I also want to have a good relationship with the coaching staff and make sure that the staff is stable and secure."
Missing from Katoa's top five list are the top in-state programs Utah and BYU. "I want to get out of state," he said. "They aren't in a big conference and they never play for the national championship. I never really watched them."
Another school that Katoa used to watch is Texas rival Oklahoma. "They are very similar to Texas," he said. "They have a great rivalry and I love how they are always playing for the top prize."
Katoa also competes in track and has a 45-foot best in the shot put. He is competing in the javelin and discus for the first time this spring. Katoa plans to focus only on football in college.
He reports a 3.2 core GPA and a 17 ACT.