Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2021 21 Wisconsin. However, it seems Pyne will push him more than most out- side the Gug anticipated. In Kelly's tenure, there have been bigger sur- prises at quarterback, a list that starts with the player who held it for the last three seasons. Book, a three-star signee who ar- rived to a soundtrack of little expec- tations, wrested the starting job from former prized recruit and incumbent Brandon Wimbush in September 2018. He won more games than any quarterback in Irish history. Behind him on the Kelly era start leader- board is Tommy Rees, who was not even the highest-rated quarterback in his Irish class but ended up starting as a freshman. Pyne had more acclaim and a lengthier offer list than either of them as a recruit, but external expec- tations were about the same for all. This spring is his chance to force an erasure and rewrite of them. "He's really serious," Book said, "about trying to be the next starter at Notre Dame." CHRIS TYREE AIMING FOR MORE WORK Chris Tyree spent much of his nine- minute Zoom media session after Notre Dame's first spring practice discussing his confidence, although his very first answer sufficed on its own as a display of it. Asked how he sees his role evolv- ing in Notre Dame's offense, the ris- ing sophomore running back casu- ally dropped an undeniably veritable but still attention-grabbing state- ment. No change in tone, no pause afterward for emphasis. "We understand good things hap- pen when the ball is in my hands," Tyree said in his first press confer- ence since arriving on campus last June. "So just being able to expand that and getting more opportunities to get me the ball is the goal now." In a spring period that Kelly said will help form an offensive identity, finding more work for Tyree figures to be on the list of objectives. The 5-10, 188-pound Tyree was Notre Dame's No. 2 running back last year as a freshman behind 1,125-yard rusher Kyren Williams, tallying 496 yards on 73 carries (6.8 yards per rush) and four touchdowns. He av- eraged 16 snaps per game. All told, the home-run ability and speed that made him a top-100 re- cruit were as advertised in a comple- mentary role. The Irish didn't need him to be an every-down back thanks to Williams' emergence, but he made himself the clear second option in fall camp at a position that began camp with no bankable assets. "Coming into the season, I had no idea what to expect," Tyree said. "I knew whatever my role was, I was going to play that and do it to the best of my ability. "When it comes to my expecta- tions, I was really happy with what I did in that I had no idea what I was going to be doing." Now with a full offseason, Kelly and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees can go about devising ways to involve Tyree more without cutting too much into Williams' work. It's a good problem to need to solve. Tyree's touches were largely spo- radic in 2020. Only twice did he ex- ceed 10 carries — 11 against Florida State and 16 against Boston College. Most of those 16 against the Eagles came in the second half when Wil- liams didn't play. Elsewhere, Tyree had only two car- ries in the first meeting with Clem- son and against North Carolina. His lone carry in the ACC Champion- ship loss to Clemson was a 21-yard touchdown late in the game. He had five rushes for 16 yards in the Col- lege Football Playoff and a 27-yard reception, which was one of four passes he caught that day. He had four receptions in the other 11 games combined. "Tyree is our back we bring in when we feel Kyren needs a breather," Kelly said after his team's 34-10 loss in the ACC Championship. In the quest to make his usage something more, one option could be playing he and Williams together more often — a tactic rarely used in 2020. Notre Dame played just 27 snaps in two-back sets last season, excluding kneel-downs. None were particularly memorable. The multi- back looks and plays had an experi- mental feel to them. The highlight was four snaps in 21 (two running backs, one tight end) and 22 person- nel (two running backs, two tight ends) against Georgia Tech that pro- duced four carries for 47 yards. "At the end of the day, we both make plays," Tyree said. "That's how we can build off each other. There is a way [to play us together], just being that we're versatile and can play in the slot and in the backfield. "There are a lot of opportunities to be on the field at the same time." One constant appears to be his spe- cial teams presence. Tyree was Notre Dame's primary kick returner last year and indicated he will have that role in 2020. He hinted at the pos- sibility of adding punt returns to his plate. He would welcome it and anything else. "I'm really confident in what I can do on the field," Tyree said. "It's up to me to be able to show that. So just being more confident in my role and showing the playmaking ability I'm capable of." ✦ Rising sophomore Chris Tyree compiled 496 yards on 73 rushing attempts (6.8 yards per carry) and four touchdowns while averaging 16 snaps per game in 2020. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS "Drew is built for this. He has always been told he's not good enough, can't be the starter, can't win. He relishes these opportunities." HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY