Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JUNE/JULY 2018 47 PREP PROFILES The Notre Dame coaching staff was hard at work during the spring evaluation period, and a new class of 2019 running back target emerged in early May. Quarterbacks coach Tom Rees stopped by Amarillo (Texas) Tascosa to watch a spring practice session, and Notre Dame followed up the next day with an offer for three-star running back King Doerue. "I had a great practice," Doerue told Blue & Gold Illustrated of the day Rees came by. Adding a new target to the board was important for Notre Dame, es- pecially after the list had shrunk with a few top targets heading elsewhere. With an offer on the table, Doerue said the Irish will be a contender. "I feel like they could be high on my radar," Doerue explained. "I don't know much about Notre Dame yet, but I want to find out. "I'm pretty sure they fit my inter- est. Notre Dame is a great school." Running backs mentor Autry Den- son was the one that offered Doerue, and the Texas product said he's look- ing forward to learning more about the Notre Dame assistant coach go- ing forward. "He wants to get to know me," he said. "He wants to build a relationship." Doerue held plenty of options be- fore the Irish offer, including Arkansas, BYU, Houston, Ole Miss, Nebraska, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Bay- lor. With his recruitment continuing to pick up steam, he said there are a few specific things he wants in a college and a football program going forward. "I'm looking for a school where I can for sure play and good coaches," Doerue noted. "I want to go to a place where the coaches will make me a bet- ter football player and a better man." According to MaxPreps, Doerue rushed for 473 yards and nine touch- downs on 53 carries (8.9 yards per attempt) in 10 games last season. Ri- vals rates him as the No. 45 running back in the nation. Doerue told Blue & Gold Illustrated he would describe himself as an "all- around running back." "I can catch the ball and play kick returner, and I've got good size," he stated. "I feel like I can do it all." — David McKinney Notre Dame recently entered the mix for 2020 running back Chris Tyree, a 5-9, 160-pounder from Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale. He said an offer from the Irish was a big one for him. "I was definitely pleasantly sur- prised with the offer," Tyree told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "It is huge for me to get an offer from such a prestigious academic school that also competes very well athletically." According to Tyree, his head coach brought him into his office recently and told him he needed to get in touch with Notre Dame running backs coach Autry Denson. "We talked for a few minutes, and he told me more about Notre Dame," Tyree said. "Then he told me that they were offering me." Tyree said he instantly got a read on Denson. "My first impression of him is that he is very passionate about the game," Tyree said. "He cares about the athletes he coaches." Beyond speaking with Denson, Tyree said he has heard plenty about Notre Dame on his own, and is defi- nitely intrigued with what the Irish have to offer. "Notre Dame is well known for its academics, and there may not be an- other football program with a greater history," Tyree explained. "The combi- nation of both really stick out for me." Knowing what he knows about Notre Dame, and now having an offer on the table, Tyree said South Bend is definitely on his list of destinations. "I definitely plan on visiting as soon as I can," he said. "I am really looking forward to learning more about the program and getting more information on the academic side of things. I can't wait to meet the rest of the coaching staff as well." As of late May, Tyree — a second- team Class 6 (largest schools) all-state pick as a sophomore — held offers from Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, Vir- ginia Tech, North Carolina and several others. As his recruitment continues to take off, Tyree has developed the main cri- teria he is looking for in his search for a future school. "The biggest factors for me are to find a school that I feel very comfort- able with going there for three or four years even without football," Tyree stated. — Corey Bodden Texas Running Back Is High On The Irish Following Offer 2020 Ball Carrier Thrilled To Land Notre Dame Offer KING DOERUE ✪ ✪ ✪ Tascosa H.S. Amarillo, Texas Status: Offered Class: 2019 Position: Running Back Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 200 Rivals Rankings: No. 45 run- ning back nationally CHRIS TYREE Thomas Dale H.S. Chester, Va. Status: Offered Class: 2020 Position: Running Back Ht.: 5-9 • Wt.: 160 Rivals Rankings: Currently unrated "Notre Dame is well known for its academics, and there may not be another football program with a greater history. The combination of both really sticks out for me." TYREE "I feel like they could be high on my radar. I don't know much about Notre Dame yet, but I want to find out. I'm pretty sure they fit my interest. Notre Dame is a great school." DOERUE