Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 53 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Let's not forget about the 5-9 1 ⁄2, 179-pound four-star recruit's talent on the field either. He rushed for 3,930 yards and 21 total touchdowns dur- ing his high school career, and was selected for the Under Armour All- America Game and Polynesian Bowl. "He's definitely elusive; that's the No. 1 word I'd like to use," High- land Springs (Va.) High head coach Loren Johnson said of Tyree. "When he gets an opportunity in an offense like Notre Dame's, you can see a lot of different things for him. "He can stretch the field vertically, but he can also do it horizontally. Catching the ball out of the back- field would be an attribute for him, or playing the slot. He'll be explosive making plays for them all over the field." "He's always had elite speed," Tucker added. "He's a game breaker whenever he touches the ball. He was one of those guys who can take over a game and really control it. Over the years, he's continued to grow and not only become an elusive back but also a powerful back." Before Tyree even took a snap as a freshman in high school, he al- ready held scholarship offers from Marshall and Virginia Tech. College coaches flew through Thomas Dale during Tyree's high school career, but after he gave his commitment to the Irish before his senior year, the traffic slowed down in a good way. "It was craziness for the years that we had him," Tucker said. "For Chris, I was happy for him, because he could become a high school stu- dent again and concentrate on his se- nior season. You could see the relief on his face." Thomas Dale finished the 2019 sea- son with a 9-4 record and made it to the quarterfinals of the Class 6 Vir- ginia High School playoffs. Tucker feels that Tyree took a step forward in his game as a senior. "He ran through more tackles, which is what we wanted," Tucker said. "He's more physical. He's al- ways been a home run threat, but with added weight that he's put on, you can tell his physical presence is different this year." Chris may not be the last in the Tyree family to play for Thomas Dale. His younger twin brothers are in middle school and supposed to be pretty good football players as well. "I'm the oldest brother," Tyree said. "I'm pretty much setting the example. That's one thing that mo- tivates me — setting an example for my brothers." ✦ Rivals rated Tyree as the No. 4 all-purpose back and No. 78 overall prospect nationally, while ESPN listed Tyree as the No. 5 running back and No. 30 overall player in the country. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM CHRIS TYREE RUNNING BACK 5-9½ · 179 THOMAS DALE CHESTER, VA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 78 4^ 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 30 5 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 137 2^ 2 ^ Ranked as an all-purpose back STATISTICS • During his high school career, totaled 458 car- ries for 3,930 yards and 18 touchdowns, 49 recep- tions for 695 yards and three scores, 150 tackles, six interceptions and 68 passes defended. • Despite missing four games as a senior in 2019, posted 71 carries for 655 yards and nine touch- downs, plus 13 receptions for 184 yards and two scores. • Ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at The Opening and won the Fastest Man Challenge two years in a row. NOTABLE • Received Richmond Times-Dispatch first-team All-Metro honors in 2017 and 2018 • Named to the Class 6, Region B first-team of- fense and first-team defense in 2018 • Ran a 6.30 55-meter dash last February to win the Virginia state meet, the fastest time posted by a high school athlete in 2019 ALL-STAR GAMES • Rushed four times for five yards and a touch- down as a captain in the Under Armour All-Amer- ica Game Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. • Selected for the 2020 Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu RECRUITMENT • Announced his commitment to Notre Dame on May 23, 2019. • Took visits to Notre Dame, Alabama, Okla- homa, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Missis- sippi State, Wake Forest, Florida State, Michigan and Virginia Tech. • Earned offers from Marshall and Virginia Tech before he played his first high school game. • Added an offer from the Fighting Irish in May 2018. • Visited Notre Dame in December 2018, March 2019 and for his official visit June 2019. • Recruited by Notre Dame running backs coach Lance Taylor. 2020 PROJECTION • With Tony Jones Jr. opting not to return for a fifth year, Tyree has a great chance to break into the rota- tion, even though he is not enrolling early. THEY SAID IT Notre Dame running backs coach Lance Taylor: "Chris is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. The speed is something I can't coach or teach. You love that part that he brings to our group." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Chris is a difference maker in the Knights' back- field. He shows great vision, balance, burst and instincts. Chris does a good job of following his blockers, excels between the tackles, can drive the pile despite his lack of great size, and has the burst and agility to cause of lot of damage on the perimeter. Add that to his great hands and ability to get in the open field, and you've got yourself one of the more exciting offensive players in the nation. He shows terrific footwork and I really en- joy watching him once he gets into the open field."