GARDENA, Calif. - A National Signing Day decision was a long-time-coming for five-star defensive end Rasheem Green.

Green sat with his family before a flurry of television cameras, media members, and fellow Serra high school students and chose to play his college football at USC mainly because of the combination of football and academics.

"I feel USC was the best choice for me for football and school," Green said. "It was like a no-brainer when it came down to it. It was a balance of school and football, which is why I really like USC."

Green said that he made his decision last week, on Tuesday, and said the hardest part about the process was not the choice to go to USC, but rather having to tell the other schools he would not be going there.

"To be honest, (the decision) wasn't really hard," he said. "It was hard saying no to the coaches, to call them and tell them I won't be going to their school. I called two schools, and they were pretty said. I'm not a fan of making people sad, but I had to do what's best for me."

Green might've made his other finalists sad, but he brought the entire Trojan Family extreme joy.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound pass-rusher is the fourth-ranked defensive end in the class of 2015 and is currently rehabbing a knee injury he suffered just prior to the start of the CIF Southern Section playoffs this past season.

Green said he's working hard on getting his knee right.

"I talked to Coach Sark and Coach Wilson, and they said I could come in and start doing my rehab with them," he said.

He also said he's hopeful to be ready to play this season, which is why it's important for him to get some extra help on the rehabilitation process.

"I plan on playing this year," Green said. "So I think that would be the best for me to start working out with them soon."