Wu Am I? Tha Bitter Bandit & Sabre-Toothed Portillo

Welcome to another edition of Wu Am I? for the 2009 season. Once again- I am trying to identify the 36 players of impact for the 2009 squad. So without any further bullshit, I open chambers 19 & 20…

Michael Floyd #3
Wide Reciever
6′ 3″ 215 lbs.
Sophomore
St. Paul, Minnesota
Wu Name: Tha Bitter Bandit

I remember the recruitment of Mike Floyd well. Just about every program in the country was after Floyd, and there is no question that he was one of the top WR’s coming out of high school that year. Every week there would be a different rumor about Floyd- whether it be one that stated he was an Ohio State lean, or that he was a Notre Dame lean. The news kept rolling in- as did the losses for the 2007 Irish team. That’s what make Floyd’s commitment after the U$C game such a shock to most recruiting insiders. I was there. I witnessed the thrashing of the Irish team by the Dirty Sanchez and his steroid crew. We looked awful… we looked beyond repair. Somehow, Floyd was mature enough to see past the growing pains and decided ND was the place for him. Fast forward to 2008: Micheal Floyd becomes a beast. Consider this, Floyd was out for the last three games of the year Navy (knee injury on first drive), Syracuse, and U$C, and he had minimal playing time against San Diego State. Those were 2 losses and 2 close wins. Without Floyd, even as good as Tate was, the offense looked a lot like the 2007 version. Floyd’s name somehow gets lost in the mix with Julio Jones ( AL.) and AJ Green (GA.), but he is as good as both of those players- if not better.

Floyd should be able to increase on his record-breaking freshman year that saw him total 48 receptions for 719 yards and 7 TD’s. With Golden Tate lining up on the other side, Notre Dame creates an enormous mismatch for opposing defenders. Floyd has gotten a little bigger than what he was during his freshman year, and with his ability to jump up and grab the ball at the highest point- Floyd should not be denied 13-15 TD’s this year. As long as Michael stays healthy this year, I see no real reason that he shouldn’t be in the All-American discussion.

Defensive Tackle
6’2″ 306 lbs.
Sophomore
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Wu Name: Sabre-Toothed Portillo

The commitment of Hafis Williams went widely uncelebrated. We had very little video to see of Hafis and he was pretty quiet throughout the entire recruiting process. He had a couple of really good offers in Notre Dame, Penn State, and Maryland. He was a Weis guy. A hard working Jersey kid that Notre Dame craved at a position that was in need of talent and size. Hafis committed to Notre Dame in early May of his junior year. He redshirted his freshman year and became a key figure on the scout team that raised more than enough eyebrows.

Entering his sophomore year, Hafis was slated as a key member of the rotation along the defensive line in the spring, and impressed coaches and media alike with his hard-nosed play. The Fighting Irish need big, able bodies along its defensive front, and Hafis is primed to get the job done. He will still enter the 2009 season as a virtual unknown nationally, but I truly feel that he will make his name early in the season. Notre Dame needs its young defensive lineman to perform this year to help a very talented linebacker corps and an insanely talented secondary.I look for Williams to get the job done and start to really make a name for himself.