By Bill Kurelic, NN Recruiting Analyst

bkurelic@nittanynetwork.com

June 2, 2009

The Nittany Lions have not stopped recruiting ESPNU 150 Watch List wide receiver Kyle Prater from Hillside (Ill.) Proviso West.  But unless something dramatic happens, Prater won’t be playing college football for Joe Paterno.

“Penn State has offered,” Prater said.  “But I don’t see them too much in the picture right now.”

Baltimore (Md.) City College wide receiver Adrian Coxson, another ESPNU Watch List prospect, committed to Penn State in April, which factors into Prater’s thinking.

“They already have a wide receiver committed,” Prater said.  “There is going to be competition wherever you go.  But I just don’t think I want to go to Penn State.”
 
Prater would not go as far as to name a favorite, but there are some schools that appear to have an advantage.

“I like Oklahoma,” Prater said.  “I like Michigan, too.  I went to the barbeque they had on Saturday (at the Big House).  It was real nice.  I liked the relationship the coaches had and the people around the coaches.  I have a strong interest in USC, too.  Tennessee is another one I like, and Miami.  There are a few others, too.”

Prater has scholarship offers from all of the schools he mentioned as well as Notre Dame, Alabama, Boston College, Wisconsin, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan State, Northwestern, Nebraska and Vanderbilt.  In fact he has close to three dozen offers total.  He plans to trim his list down this month.

“I’m going to get it down to 10 schools sometime this month,” Prater said.  “I’m going to wait and take official visits.  Not too many people take all five, but I’m going to try to take most of them or all of them.”

The 6-foot-4 and 205-pound Prater moved into the starting lineup at the beginning of his sophomore season.  He caught close to 25 passes and scored twice that season.

Prater caught 60 passes for 948 yards his junior season.  He averaged 15.8 yards per catch and scored nine times.

Prater will be in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday attending the NIKE Football Training Camp at the University of Illinois.