Kyle Prater::Courtesy of Rivals.com

If USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley is fighting any nerves about starting for the Trojans in their opener on Saturday against San Jose State, he probably enjoyed at least a moment of calm Wednesday. Barkley's moment of zen likely came about 12:30 pacific time, when Kyle Prater, the top-ranked receiver prospect in the class of 2010, announced that he intends to play for the Trojans.

Prater, a 6-5, 210-pounder from Proviso West High in Hillside, Ill., could make the same kind of immediate impact Julio Jones made for Alabama and A.J. Green made for Georgia in 2008. Even better for the Trojans, they already have a commitment from Robert Woods, the Gardena, Calif., receiver ranked the No. 2 athlete and the No. 9 overall player by Rivals.com. Prater, who plans to enroll at USC in January, is ranked No. 2 overall.

"I'm looking forward to going to USC and hopefully I'll succeed in college and in my dream to go to the NFL," Prater said at a press conference, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. That's why I picked USC. It that gives me the best opportunity to do that."

USC, which has had four receivers chosen in the first two rounds of the NFL draft in the past five years, beat out Illinois, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Tennessee for Prater. Prater's coach, former Illinois player Famous Hulbert, told the Sun-Times that Prater's toughest call was to Illini coach Ron Zook. "The hardest part was telling Coach Zook that he wasn't going to be a member of Illini nation," Hulbert said.

USC now has 14 public commitments for the class of 2010.