Katoa: "I will definitely visit Oklahoma"

LYNN KATOA, LB, 6’2, 220, 4.6, SALT LAKE CITY (COTTONWOOD), UTAH:

One of the top remaining linebackers on the board is Salt Lake City prospect Lynn Katoa. Katoa is considered to be one of the top five linebackers in the country, and when he plays he plays so aggressive that it appears he plays angry.

Katoa is a tremendous competitor as well as one of the most fluid linebackers you will find. Katoa is getting ready to take trips to some of his favorite programs, and OUESPN caught up with him to find out how his schedule is laying out.

JH: The last time we talked you said you were going to start taking some visits around this time. Are you still going to take some visits here in the next week or so?

LK: “Yes, I still have plans but I still don’t know which one I am going to go to next week at this point. I really want to go to Florida because they have a camp there, but so does LSU. But I don’t know the specific dates of those camps. I know they are this week — Friday and Saturday. I would like to go to LSU Thursday or Friday and then fly out that afternoon and go to Florida on Saturday. I have some team members going to LSU and Florida, and I would like to meet them there. So I don’t know, I might just go and visit one of those schools."

JH: Which of your teammates are going to LSU and Florida?

LK: “Austin, our quarterback is going to the camp in Florida. Then one of our O-lineman, John Martinez, is going to LSU. I think John is going to LSU and Florida, but I am not sure about that. John is a sophomore and I think he has already been offered by four schools.”

JH: Do you still plan to visit Oklahoma?

LK: “Yes, I am. I will be down there, but I don’t know what date. I will visit Oklahoma before August 22. I really look forward to visiting them because they are excited about me coming in. I have discussed my visit with Coach (Brent) Venables, and I will definitely visit Oklahoma.”

JH: So it is not going to be next week? It will be later in the summer?

LK: “Yeah. I don’t know exactly when because you never know. I might just take a visit or an official visit during that time. I am trying to make it Oklahoma this month around the 23rd or 24th. I am going to visit Oklahoma. There is no doubt about that, I just don’t know the specific date I can visit.”

JH: Talk about the schools that are still involved with your recruitment at this point?

LK: “The schools that are heavily recruiting me are Florida, Miami, OU, Texas, Wisconsin and Oregon. Those schools text me every day and I call them and talk to them. I talk to coaches from these schools all the time and they always text me. I usually talk to a coach from one of those schools on a daily basis.”

JH: What are your thoughts on Oklahoma at this time?

LK: “I love the Sooners. I like their defensive scheme and Coach Venables has explained to me where I would fit in the defensive scheme. He believes that I am a special player and he can get me to the next level, plus with a degree and the opportunity to play with a great, winning program. I like Oklahoma and I know a lot about them now thanks to Coach Venables. Now it is just me visiting them and checking them out to see from myself.”

JH: Does a coach with a track record like Brent Venables has mean anything to you?

LK: “There is no doubt that Coach Venables is the best coach at this position in the country. Ever since I was little and watching Oklahoma play, they have always had great linebackers. Coach Venables has shown me all the facts about all the great linebackers he has coached when they were freshmen. Some of his freshmen have received awards. He told me straight-up that not all of them were highly recruited, but he just trained them and coached them well. He showed me his coaching experience and what he has accomplished.

"There is no doubt he is the best coach at his position. I am not looking at a school just for their nice weight room or anything like that, or one that has nice turf. I am looking at the coach at my position that can get me to the next level, and a great program. I like OU a lot.”

JH: You seem to do a lot of research on the schools that you are considering. Have you found that it is easy to find out information on the schools you like?

LK: “Finding information is easy. I just told Coach Venables straight-up that I really liked Oklahoma and I really wanted to find out more about them. Over time, he and I have developed a relationship and I just have that trust that when he gives me information I don’t have any doubt about it. He has written it down on paper and gave it to me, and I have not had a second thought about it because I already knew the history of the program and the coaching experience that he has. You can look up all kinds of information about a school in a computer. You can look it up on a computer easily, but coming from your position coach at a school is worth more.”

JH: So the internet has helped you a lot in recruiting?

LK: “The internet has a lot of information, and the majority of information that you want. Is it up to that player if he is serious about getting all the information that he needs. I use the internet to come up with answers that I need about various things. For instance, I just looked up Oklahoma today and checked out how many linebackers they had on their roster, as well as their ratings, if they started or if they redshirted.

"It is just little stuff like that which does interest me. I would think most people my age use the internet to find out information about colleges they like. I think other recruits use the internet to compare what they are being told by the coaches or what they have found out through other sources.”

JH: Has anything changed concerning what you are looking for in a school?

LK: “All the schools that I have named have great programs and great coaches. You can get a great education at all the schools. I think what is very important is the head coach and all the coaches on the staff, especially my position coach. I want to feel good about my position coach and make sure everything is good. It is going to come down where I feel comfortable and the kind of trust level with the coach that I can have. I can never know unless I visit there.

"I am really interested in Oklahoma, so I am going to go there and find out for myself. The depth chart is important to me, and I want to make sure the head coach and my position coach are going to be coaching me over the next few years. I want to know the graduation rate of the football team, the atmosphere and tradition. I want to be a part of a good program.”