UPDATE: Michael Floyd returning to school in 2011

[Nick]

Notre Dame's Floyd to wait a day on NFL decision
By Brian Hamilton
January 11, 2011 4:35 PM | No Comments | UPDATED STORY

Anyone breathlessly anticipating Michael Floyd's Notre Dame-or-NFL decision will have to endure another 24 hours of hand-wringing.

After a meeting with Irish coach Brian Kelly, Floyd will wait until Wednesday afternoon to announce whether he will return to Notre Dame for his senior season or head to the NFL, a source close to the situation told the Tribune.

This underscores one fact: What most speculated to be a no-doubt call by Floyd to head to the pros is anything but. Floyd and Kelly will meet again mid-day Wednesday before the receiver's decision goes public later in the afternoon, the source said.

It's no stretch to conclude that the NFL has a strong pull on Floyd, as it would nearly any college player with his pedigree and a school-record 28 touchdown catches in his career. But as was anticipated even before the Irish's season ended, there are complicating, mitigating factors in play.

Floyd received a third-round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, according to a source familiar with those results, and most draft analysts pegged him as a second- or third-round pick in a draft cluttered with talented wideouts.

The looming threat of NFL labor unrest, the potential to be a first-round pick in 2012 should he return, any affinity he has for Notre Dame -- all of those factors and more likely are weighing on Floyd as he contemplates his call for another 24 hours.

The 6-foot-3 wideout has 171 catches for 2,539 yards and a school-record 28 touchdown grabs in three seasons.

Junior tight end Kyle Rudolph already declared his intent to skip his senior season at Notre Dame and enter the draft last week.

The Draft Advisory Committee has always struck me as being rather conservative in their grades, as they don't want to overproject a guy and be the reason he comes out early only to see him fall in the draft. But for a guy that some people feel is the third or fourth best receiver in this class (depending on if Blackmon declares), it was probably a lower projection than some expected.

[AvengerRam]

If he's sitting there in Round 3 when the Rams pick, I'd take him in a heartbeat.

[RockinRam]

Heck, if he was available in Round 2, I would take him in a heart beat.

A Round 3 grade is a bit low for him. I see him being taken in the late first round to mid 2nd round.

[mcpeepants232003]

I'd love Floyd in the second round. I just feel like he's one of the receivers that you know what you are getting.

[RAMarkable]

If he's sitting there in Round 3 when the Rams pick, I'd take him in a heartbeat.

Hear!! Hear!! Although this would be an incredible coup for the Rams, somehow I get the feeling he'll return to Notre Dame for his senior year. Odd that he got a lower grade than Golden Tate as I have always figured that they were pretty close in abilities to one another.

WHAT SAY YE?

[RockinRam]

Hear!! Hear!! Although this would be an incredible coup for the Rams, somehow I get the feeling he'll return to Notre Dame for his senior year. Odd that he got a lower grade than Golden Tate as I have always figured that they were pretty close in abilities to one another.

WHAT SAY YE?

If I'm not mistaken, most if not all draft gurus/evaluators feel that Michael Floyd is the better prospect than Tate, especially when Tate was still at ND.

[berg8309]

if a new rookie cap gets put in, I can't see a tremendous difference between 2nd and 3rd round money. To me the only reason to go back then would be if he thinks he can raise his stock to 1st rounder. Once you get in the NFL, it doesn't matter how you got there.

[lostsoul]

What?!?! IMO he's the second best reciever in this class.

[39thebeast]

at best 4th reciever in this class IMO and could fall back even further if Torry Smith and Jonathan Baldwin have good combines as expected

[ManofGod]

I think alot of ppl said the same thing about Gilyard last year. I believe that they have this grade about right.

[Nick]

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - University of Notre Dame junior wide receiver Michael Floyd (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) will return for his senior season, Floyd announced Wednesday.

The 6-3, 227-pounder enters his final year at Notre Dame with the most touchdown receptions, second-most receptions and third-most receiving yards for a career in Irish history.

"This was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make in my life," Floyd said. "On the one hand, there was Notre Dame. This place has been an incredible home to me and the relationships I built here are ones I know I'll have for the rest of my life. On the other hand, there was the NFL. It has always been a lifelong goal to play football at the highest level and that is something I look forward to doing at some point. However, I'm pleased to say I will be returning to the University of Notre Dame for my senior season in 2011.

"I'm returning to Notre Dame for three reasons: to earn my degree, return Notre Dame to the top and improve myself as a player. First, I promised my mom I would graduate from Notre Dame and I am 40 credit hours shy of attaining that goal. I chose to attend Notre Dame in part because I knew it was a 40-year decision and not a four-year decision. Graduating from Notre Dame will help me for the rest of my life. Second, I want to get Notre Dame back to a BCS game. I believe we are very close to returning the Irish to where we belong and I want to be part of something great. Lastly, I want to show everyone in the country that I'm the best wide receiver in college football in 2011. There are many things I need to improve, but I feel with the coaching I have at Notre Dame, I can become the best at my position in this game."

[TheBritishRam]

Not good news for a team in the hunt for a quality WR in the draft. Anyone who follows college football, is this suppose to be a deep WR class?

[codeman123]

Justin Blackmon just decided to return back to school as well. Both those guys were first round options, and now the WR class got a lot worse. Bad news for us sitting at number 14.

[Bing69]

I still see Julio Jones waiting for us there at 14!

Imagine a Jones / Blackmon combo next year if it were to happen.

[Alec22]

Prob a 3rd round grade, but would have probably been taken in round 2 somewhere with his size and esp with blackmon going back.