Michael Bandy was born and raised La Mirada, California where he grew up playing mainly football and baseball. He attended local Servite High School where he was named the team’s MVP and a First-Team All-State selection as a junior.
Deciding to stay close to home to play his collegiate ball, he chose to play at nearby San Diego. As a freshman, Bandy played sparingly, finishing his freshman season with 77 yards on four catches in 10 games. In his sophomore campaign, he recorded the first five starts of his college career and totaled 367 yards a pair of touchdowns on 25 catches.