JUCO coach says Floyd’s physical play will impact ISU

What characteristic best describes Iowa State football’s latest verbal commitment, junior college safety Qujuan Floyd?

The 6-foot, 195-pound strong safety is a big hitter. That is the best way to describe him.  

“He is super physical,” Santa Monica Community College head coach Gifford Lindheim told CycloneFanatic.com. “He brings that physical element to the secondary that a lot of guys don’t have. He has changed games for us with big hits and turned the momentum our way because of that physical play.”

Floyd, who committed to Iowa State assistant coaches Wally Burnham and Todd Sturdy in person on Tuesday night, played linebacker for a state championship high school team. He tweaked an ankle that hindered him for the majority of his sophomore season but still collected five interceptions.

“They are getting a natural leader,” Lindheim said. “He’s a really tough guy. He is a big time hitter with great ball skills.”

Like fellow junior college safety commitment Devron Moore, the plan is for Floyd to be on Iowa State’s campus for the second semester, which means he will be eligible to participate in spring drills starting in March.

“He is a diligent worker in the weight room,” Lindheim said. “He knows what it takes. He takes it very serious and is a mature person. He will make the transition very well.”

It is notable that Floyd has an older brother, Clint Floyd, who recently played and started at Arizona State.

Floyd will have an opportunity to replace the hole that Deon Broomfield’s departure will create in 2014 and start right away. However, that wasn’t the top reason why he decided to choose Iowa State over Utah.

“Qujuan was just looking for a good fit of where he belonged,” Lindheim said. “He is a very confident guy and feels that in any situation he will compete. That is what we preach in our program. For him it was all about trust with the Iowa State coaches."