Two weeks ago, junior wide receiver Golden Tate told reporters his NFL Draft decision would be determinant on who the new Irish coach would be.
Golden Tate joins Clausen in jump to NFL
Not so. At a news conference today, Tate announced he was forgoing his final year of eligibility at Notre Dame to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. He joins teammate Jimmy Clausen as two of the most noteworthy juniors in the draft thus far, joining Dezmon Briscoe of Kansas, Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma as early entrants.
For the year, Tate finished with an incredible 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 186 yards and two more scores.
But receiving is just a part of Tate’s game. He was Notre Dame’s top punt returner, taking back 12 kicks for 171 yards and a score. He also contributed by returning kickoffs. Every time Tate touches the ball he’s a threat to score.
Tate really made his name this season when sophomore receiver Michael Floyd was knocked out of five games with an injury. That made Tate Clausen’s No. 1 target, a role where he excelled.
Game after game, Tate made several spectacular catches. Where Tate is the most dangerous, however, is after the catch. With legs like a running back, Tate breaks his share of tackles and can make just about any defender miss in the open field.
Tate saved arguably his best game for the last of the year at Stanford. Against the Cardinal, he brought in 10 receptions for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
But Tate was considered a possible top 25 pick prior tot that game. In 12 games in 2009, he went over 100 yards receiving in nine of them.
“With the year I had this year, it was kind of hard to stay,” Tate told reporters at a news conference today. “To be honest, I don’t think I can do much better next year or any year in college. The time was right.”
While Tate is somewhat undersized – he’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds – he has a strong build. But consider the size of the following players:
Wes Welker: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
DeSean Jackson: 5-foot-10, 175 pounds
Steve Smith: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
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