Will Kyle Prater, a former five-star wide receiver, become a Northwestern Wildcat?

Not sure yet, but if you can infer anything by talking to his high school coach, Famous Hulbert from Proviso West, the signs might all point to purple.

The 6-5 Prater announced Monday that he was leaving USC, intending to transfer closer to home. He named Illinois, Wisconsin and NU as his top three. And if Pat Fitzgerald can get Prater -- almost three years after Fitzgerald first offered when Prater was a senior at West -- then it would be the second high-profile player Fitzgerald has nabbed in the past week. On Saturday, Fitzgerald got a verbal commitment from Centerville, Ohio linebacker/defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo, a four-star recruit according to Scout.com.

Hulbert, himself an Illinois grad who played football for the Illini in the mid-1990s, said he's been helping the family and has talked to "every football school in Illinois that offers a full football scholarship."

Hulbert predicts Prater may make a decision in the next few days, but he stresses that this shouldn't be turned into a media circus. Prater may take more official visits next weekend, Hulbert said. And, for the record, Evanston is at least a 50-minute drive from his family home in Maywood. Closer than the two-hour plus drive from Maywood to either Champaign or Madison, Wis.

"Kyle's from a hard working, close-knit family and it's in the best interests of his family for him to come home," Hulbert said.

Sounds like an endorsement for Evanston if you ask me.