This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Alta's Class of 2017 outside linebacker Mata Hola received a scholarship offer from BYU on Tuesday, and he told The Tribune that the Cougars immediately ascended to the top of his list of preferred destinations.

"They want kids that want to be there and not kids that want to have a lot of offers," Hola said of BYU's pitch to him.

At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Hola finished with 66 tackles and 9.5 sacks as a junior last season, playing both from defensive end and outside linebacker. He was named second-team all-state as a defensive lineman.

BYU is Hola's third official offer, joining Hawaii and Southern Utah, with the Cougars being "my top right now." Growing up in Euless, Texas before moving to Utah, Hola is a Texas Longhorns fan, which he labeled as his "dream school."

When asked to list other schools he's interested in, Hola said, "Utah State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State and Boise State."

— Trevor Phibbs

Twitter: @trevorphibbs