This is for Diam, who I think is an Irish football fan. Don't despair, Diam future will be brighter at The Golden Dome in time.As Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis stood on the sidelines and watched his team get thumped by rival USC Saturday, a number of highly ranked recruits sat in prime seats just behind the ND bench watching the 38-0 demolition.
Not exactly a made-for-recruiting moment if you’re Weis.
But on Sunday, one of those recruits, wide receiver Michael Floyd of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minn., offered Weis a verbal commitment, somewhat softening the blow of Notre Dame’s seventh loss in eight outings.
Floyd became the 20th player to commit to Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2008, a group that is currently ranked as the nation’s top group. And he fills one of the few remaining needs that this class lacked -- a receiver who can stretch a defense.
“I just got that feeling that Notre Dame was the place I wanted to be,” Floyd told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Floyd, who prior to his high school season had pared his list to ND, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida and Minnesota, told the paper that his recruitment is now complete.
“This is it,” he said. “I’m not going to take any more visits.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Floyd is ranked as one of the nation’s premier receivers. He has been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and through eight games (Cretin-Derham Hall is 8-0 entering the postseason), Floyd has caught 35 passes for 717 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also run for 274 yards and a pair of scores, returned three punts for touchdowns and thrown a 24-yard TD pass.
Floyd joins Fort Wayne, Ind., product John Goodman as ND receiver recruits. Goodman is playing mainly quarterback at Dwenger High School, but was recruited by ND as a wideout. In limited time at receiver, Goodman was averaging 28.8 yards per catch.
That’s not it for the Notre Dame passing game. Two of the nation’s best tight ends -- Kyle Rudolph of Cincinnati (Elder) and Joseph Fauria of the Encino, Calif. (Crespi Carmelite) -- have committed to the Irish. And quarterback Dayne Crist of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Calif., picked Notre Dame during spring practice.
Floyd, however, was the big target, at least among receivers, and he’s the most recent player from his school headed to South Bend.
Other CDH players who have recently played for the Irish include offensive lineman Ryan Harris, tight end Marcus Freeman and fullback Rashon Powers-Neal. Offensive lineman Matt Carufel, who signed with ND in 2006 and started three games this season, left the program the week of the Oct. 13 Boston College game. He is expected to transfer to either Minnesota or Iowa.
Cretin-Derham Hall has produced other standout athletes as well. Other notable names who have attended the school include Baseball Hall of Fame member Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, the top pick in the 2001 MLB Draft, and 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke.
“(Floyd is) one of the better athletes to ever come out of our school,” Cretin-Derham Hall coach Mike Scanlan said. “I’ve got to put him in that category. It’s early, but time will tell.”
Other notables to visit Notre Dame over the weekend were Columbia, S.C. offensive lineman Kenny Page, Elkhorn, Neb., offensive lineman Trevor Robinson and Detroit running back Jonas Gray. Gray and Robinson are verbally committed to Nebraska.
NCAA recruiting rules prohibit Weis and his assistants from publicly commenting on a recruit until the player has signed a national letter-of-intent. Signing day is Feb. 6. Notre Dame is expected to sign approximately 25 players to the class it is currently assembling.
Bob Wieneke covers Notre Dame football recruiting for the South Bend Tribune’s IrishSportsReport.com
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Floyd chose ND based on acedimics. Oh well at least OSU can go after Cordal Scott.
