NFL decision awaits Floyd

Brian Kelly is recruiting Michael Floyd to stay at Notre Dame.

As for Floyd, he admitted jumping to the next level is in the "back of my head" but the receiver said he's trying to focus on preparing for Miami in the Sun Bowl, which could be his final collegiate game. Floyd has asked for an evaluation from the NFL's advisory committee on his draft stock, although the junior said he's uncertain when he'll get feedback.

"Right now I'm staying here and will be here next year," Floyd said. "We'll look at it from there."

Floyd said he's already registered for classes during Notre Dame's spring semester, which begins in mid-January. The former five-star prospect also said a chance to compete for a national championship might factor into his decision to stay or go.

Whenever that decision gets made, it appears that it will be Floyd's alone.

"My mom said, like she said when I went to college, it's my decision," Floyd said. "Whatever I choose to do, she's on my side.

"It's all about the timing and what's right and what's best for me."

Floyd leads Notre Dame with 73 catches for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns, playing some his best football during the team's three-game win streak. In the upset of USC, Floyd posted 11 catches for 86 yards and one touchdown, accounting for more than half Notre Dame's completed passes.

The draft advisory committee's feedback figures to play a part in Floyd's decision, but so too will his relationships with Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, both of whom skipped their senior years for the NFL. Floyd keeps in touch with that pair and said neither has expressed regret about leaving early, although the NFL lifestyle has been a grind.

"It's not like college," Floyd said. "People have families. Being a young guy you don't really have that. A lot of veterans on the team, they've got to take care of their kids, they have a wife and stuff like that, which Jimmy and Golden don't, so they're kind of chilling right now.

"(NFL teams) are always looking for somebody to take your spot. You've always got to perform at your best level."

Floyd added that he hasn't thought about the potential NFL lockout relative to his draft decision.

"It's always been a dream to me to play in the league," Floyd said. "That was my dream being a young guy. You never know when it's the right time."

If Floyd returns he will finish as the most prolific receiver in school history and might get there during the Sun Bowl. He's 14 catches short of Jeff Samardzija's career mark for receptions of 179. Floyd is also 277 yards short of Tate's mark for career receiving yards and one short of Samardzija's career touchdown mark of 27.

As much as Floyd will leave a mark on Notre Dame's history books, he said there's no doubt the University has affected him too, regardless of whether his career with the Irish is nearing its close.

"It means a lot and I wouldn't have chose any other school," Floyd said. "It's just a one of a kind school."