A five-star recruit from the 2010 class, wide receiver Kyle Prater, has decided to transfer from the University of Southern California to the Big Ten's Northwestern. As a Trojan, Prater was a redshirt in 2010, and in 2011 he played in 10 games but only caught one pass for six yards.
According to College Football Talk's John Taylor, the Illinois native is excited to be playing back in Chicago where he's close to his home.
"This is one of the best days in my life for me and my family and I’m just happy to be back close to home, my family and my support group," Prater said. "I’d like to thank USC and their administration for my release. I have the utmost respect for USC and the coaching staff, players, fans and everybody I was in touch with there. This Northwestern degree will take me far and help me become a better person. The dynamics of the school and the team have shown me a lot and I’m just happy to be a Wildcat."
According to NCAA transfer rules, Prater will have to sit out of the 2012 season but he will still have two years of eligibility starting at the beginning of the 2013 season. Even though they won't have him on the field this coming season, Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald is happy to have the former Trojan.
"We’re extremely excited for Kyle to be able to come home to Chicago and join our Northwestern football family," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said in a statement. "He is a tremendous young man from a great family and is a product of a high school program we really respect in Proviso West. Kyle’s decision to attend Northwestern made sense for everyone involved and we’re looking forward to him contributing to our program on and off the field."
For more updates on the Trojans, visit the Conquest Chronicles.