AMERICAN FORK, Utah – The Utah State Aggies could land a hidden gem in American Fork, Utah, running back Zach Katota. The Aggies were the first to offer the two-star Katoa and that could give Utah State and edge over Utah, BYU and Washington State; all have interest in the 6'1" running back.
Friday night, Katoa had his best game of the year in helping his team dominate Westlake, 44-28. Katoa will play running back at the next level but for American Fork he plays strong safety and is the punter as well. The best player on the field was Katoa Friday night as he was breaking off run after run while being elusive and had over 200 combined yards of offense, including a 63-yard reception.
Every time American Fork needed a big play, especially on third downs, Katoa was able convert, including a key conversion on a 3rd-and-10 with Westlake still hanging around in this game. He had a pair of rushing touchdowns as well.
This was the first game that Katoa had a major impact on defense this year. He had a recovered a fumble and had a sack. This defensive effort just shows that Katoa will be a play maker at the next level and that he has very good football awareness.
For the season he is averaging well over 100 yards per game on the ground and he has nine total touchdowns. His American Fork team is currently 4-1 on the year and the only loss came against Brighton, who is Utah's best team, and by just a single point.
Utah State could see some competition from in-state schools as BYU had both its offensive line coach Garett Tujague and defensive coordinator Nick Howell were there for most of this game on the recruiting trail.
Here is the highlight reel for Katoa so far this year, via Hudl: