Interview: 2017 California 3-Star LB Colin Schooler Talks Arizona Commitment

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Arizona fans may not realize it yet, but the day after Christmas turned out to be a very special day for the Wildcats program. The coaching staff has gone into overdrive during the month of December realigning and firming up their 2017 recruiting class. So far, four players have committed starting with junior college defensive tackle Sione Taufahema followed by Nevada athlete Tony Wallace, Florida linebacker Jose Ramirez, and as of Monday, California linebacker Colin Schooler. Schooler may be one of the bigger steals for any recruiting class in the Pac-12 this season.

The Wildcats bumped their 2017 class up to 25 commits with Schooler essentially putting a cap on their haul. Rivals rates Arizona’s class No. 18 in the nation, but even the Top 20 recognition may not be fitting. Schooler is rated as a three-star but is without a doubt one of the top athletes in the senior class, not only in the state of California but in the nation.

Over the past three seasons, Schooler has helped Mission Viejo to a 39-3 record posting a perfect 16-0 mark in 2015. The Diablos do-everything talent earned first team All-State, first team All-County, first team All-League (South Coast), first team All-CIF, and Team Defensive MVP honors at the end of his junior season. Schooler’s senior season was not a letdown roaming southern California gridirons for 77 tackles, four tackles for a loss, two sacks, and two interceptions in 12 games played.

If Arizona needs a running back at any point over the next four seasons, their 6-1, 225 pound, commit could be the man to step up. Schooler rushed for 1,161 yards with 19 scores off 101 totes while pulling down 21 passes for 464 yards with six additional scores in 2016. All of the notable stats on both sides of the ball were done playing in just the first half of most games thanks to big leads heading into the locker room at halftime.

The Wildcats staff recognized a diamond in the rough that had been overlooked by every other Pac-12 program despite his three-star recruiting status. Schooler had offers on the table from Nevada, Fresno State, College of Charleston, Holy Cross, San Jose State, New Mexico, Buffalo, and UNLV before Arizona jumped into the mix on Dec. 14 with an offer. With Arizona’s 2017 class filling up, neither the Wildcats nor Schooler could wait until the scheduled Jan. 13 official to make the commitment in person.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Schooler shortly after he announced his commitment to the public on Tuesday to get the inside scoop on how Arizona landed their newest recruit.

Interview

Colin, first, congratulations on your commitment to Arizona.

“Thank you.”

How many offers did you have before you committed?

“I had nine offers.”

You just announced your commitment, but did you actually commit to the staff today or before today?

“I called Coach (Marcel) Yates (defensive coordinator/linebackers coach) last night. That is when I officially committed.”

What influenced you to commit to Arizona?

“I really liked what Coach Yates had to say. I have known Coach (Scott) Boone (linebackers) for a long time. He was recruiting me when he was at Nevada. I like Coach (Rich) Rodriguez (head coach) and how they are rebuilding the program. They have a couple of majors there that I am interest in pursuing.”

Which majors?

“Business, communications, criminal justice, and political science.”

What brought about the actual decision?

“My family and I all came together to talk about it. We talked about the pros and cons of all the colleges. We mostly looked at where would I fit best and which school would set me up for life after college. We all decided Arizona was the best fit. We had a lengthy conversation about it. We started on the 15th, just after I got the offer. We had a lot of side conversations, finally we decided to sit down and make a decision as a family. We did not want to wait any longer so the offer would not get pulled or if they did not have a spot for me left.”

When you called Coach Yates and committed, what was his response?

“He told me I made his holiday.”

How did you feel at that moment when you verbally committed?

“I was nervous, but then again I was really excited. This is a major step in my life. I was very excited. I was kind of sweating too. I was worried about how he would react and how everything would go down.”

Are you excited your recruiting process is over?

(Laughs) “Oh yeah. It was a struggle the whole way. Tons of people were wondering why I did not have more offers. All the games you have to play, luckily Arizona came through.”

Have you talked specifics with the Arizona coaches about which position you will play?

“They are recruiting me to play linebacker. We did not get specific about which position, but I can play inside or outside.”

Is your official visit still scheduled for Jan. 13?

“Yes.”

What are you excited to learn about the program or see during your official?

“I’m excited to meet all the coaches. That will be major. I’m excited to see all the facilities and the campus.”

Since your brother (Brenden Schooler) plays for Oregon, what was his reaction to your commitment to a Pac-12 rival?

(Laughs) “He said ‘welcome to the Pac-12 family’ and game me a big hug. It was a big relief for him too. We were already talking about Oregon playing Arizona. If I play this year, the game is up in Oregon. That would be cool to play against each other next year.”

Colin, again, congratulations on your commitment to Arizona.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: Southern California’s High School Sports Blog; Colin Schooler breaks free.

Photo credit: twitter.com; Colin (right) and Brenden Schooler.