Top recruits fortify loaded defense
With two recent additions to the 2008 football recruiting class, Colorado looks to be stacked in the linebacker position for the coming years.
Four-star junior college linebacker Shaun Mohler committed to CU on Dec. 9, picking Colorado over Iowa, California and Kentucky. And just two days later, five-star linebacker Lynn Katoa gave the Buffs a soft verbal commitment.
If they sign letters of intent in February, Mohler and Katoa will join a recruiting class already heavy in talented linebackers, with the five-star Jon Major and three-star Will Pericak.
The Shaun Mohler File
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 225 pounds
High School: Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
40-Yard Dash: 4.6 seconds
Mohler originally committed to Nebraska in June, but after Huskers coach Bill Callahan was fired in November, he reopened his recruitment. He took visits throughout the fall and chose Colorado after meeting with CU linebackers coach Brian Cabral.
“He said he sees me replacing Jordon Dizon,” Mohler said.
Mohler, who recorded 93 tackles and 6.5 sacks this season, is rated as the top junior college outside linebacker in the country and the No. 16 overall junior college player by recruiting service Rivals.com.
After a fall spent searching for a new destination, Mohler said he is set on CU.
“It seemed like the right fit,” he said. “It seems like a great situation for me.”
The Lynn Katoa File
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 220 pounds
High School: Cottonwood High School (Salt Lake City)
Bench: 315
40-Yard Dash: 4.6 seconds
Katoa – who was recruited by Oklahoma, Southern Cal, Texas, Florida and LSU – made a surprise commitment to Colorado early this month after seven CU coaches visited his home in Salt Lake City.
The Cottonwood High School linebacker is rated the No. 2 inside linebacker in the country by recruiting service Rivals.com. In his last two seasons, Katoa has averaged about 190 tackles and 17 sacks per year.
Shortly after committing to Colorado, however, Katoa reopened his recruiting to Oklahoma. He has maintained the soft verbal commitment to Colorado, but said the Sooners are still in the mix.
Katoa said he hopes to enroll for the spring semester at Colorado or Oklahoma, so he will likely make his final decision by Christmas.
The two linebackers already committed are Major, rated as the top player in Colorado, and Pericak, a standout at Boulder High School over the last three years.
The talented linebackers in the 2008 recruiting class will join a pedigree of standout linebackers produced by Colorado.
In the last few years, Colorado has produced linebackers such as Sean Tufts, Brian Iwuh, Abraham Wright, Thaddaeus Washington and 2007 consensus All-American and Butkus Award finalist Jordon Dizon.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Justin Coons at justin.coons@thecampuspress.com.
