BREAKING | 2020 Four-Star RB Chris Tyree Commits To Notre Dame
Notre Dame needed to land an elite running back in the 2020 class and Thomas Dale (Va.) star Chris Tyree has committed to the Fighting Irish.
Running back was arguably the most critical position on Notre Dame’s board in 2020 and they landed the top guy on it.
Chip Long and Lance Taylor teamed up to land the four-star prospect, which was crucial as Autry Denson departed for a head coaching job.
While the relationships were meaningful, Taylor’s resumè might have been the nail in the coffin for Tyree.
“Coach Long and bringing in Coach Taylor, that definitely made me comfortable, especially being that he coached Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love,” said Tyree.
“I kind of have the same playing style as them, so that made me feel really comfortable. I just feel comfortable around the campus. It’s just a good feeling.”
Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly also made sure to make Tyree a priority as he made a stop by Thomas Dale during the bye week last fall.
Kelly also impressed Tyree and his family during his two visits to South Bend.
“He was just showing me that it’s a family atmosphere there,” Tyree stated in December. “He was telling me that everyone in the room was pretty much like his son and I could tell being in there for one of the meetings.
Notre Dame wanted not only an elite running back, but one with speed. Tyree won the fasted man at last year’s finals at The Opening (as an underclassman) with a 4.38.
The speed translates to the field as the Virginia native ran 177 times for 1,446 yards and 11 touchdowns, while he hauled in 23 receptions for 302 yards and one score. Tyree has rushed for 3,275 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career.
Tyree will join several Virginia players on the roster, but he won’t get to play with safety Jalen Elliott, who made a significant impact on his recruitment.
“It’s just good to see that because he’s from Richmond,” Tyree said of his fellow Virginia native in December. “He’s actually from my rival school back home.
“It was just good to see kids from my area playing big-time football and getting to spend time with them for a little bit.”
Beating out Alabama and Oklahoma isn’t an easy battle, but the combination of academics and athletics spoke to Tyree’s heart, which made the decision simple.
“It’s a really great school,” said Tyree. “It has a really good balance that I like between football, academics and the social life around campus. I like it a lot.”
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