So there was A LOT that went into Notre Dame landing Chris Tyree. It wasn't easy, but they got it done. A lot of backstory to this, plus an update on where things stand at RB recruiting.
* Let's start this off from the beginning. Let's just say there's a reason Chip Long took this one over from the beginning. Two, actually. One is Tyree is special and the staff knew they had to get him. He was a game changer and the staff knew it. Two, Long was NOT going to have happen with Tyree what has happened to every other top back the staff wanted the last four years. That meant the previous RB coach had very little to do with this recruitment. I would say based on sources I've talked to that Chip Long spent more time on Tyree than any other player in this class.
* When Lance Taylor was hired is when things truly changed for ND. They were already in good shape with him based on the work Chip Long did. Long had a great message for Tyree and it resonated, which is why Nd was in good shape with him, but they weren't really in the position where his commitment was expected. Once Taylor came on board his priority number one, two and three was landing Tyree. They connected early on and Taylor not only backed up Long's vision, but he was able to sell what he did with Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love, two very similar players to Tyree. Taylor worked HARD to land this commitment.
* Oklahoma - Okay, so here's the deal on the Oklahoma situation, and there's still some things I can't share until after signing day. But Tyree was blown away by the Oklahoma visit. The offense combined with the pomp and circumstance that went into that visit. Oklahoma knows how to mask its deficiencies, maybe as good as any team in the country, and they had Chris really, really, really thinking hard about that. To the point where he almost committed during the visit. He went home and then wanted to commit to OU then, and the OU coaches knew they had a small window and they pushed HARD for him to commit. Notre Dame reacted very, very quickly. Taylor got on him right away and that got Tyree to commit to visiting in June. It wasn't until a conversation with Long that Notre Dame finally was able to stem the tide of the Oklahoma visit. Let's just say that Long was very up front and honest with Tyree and explained to him the difference between a Notre Dame guy and an Oklahoma guy, and challenged Tyree on what he wanted to be. That sunk in and got Tyree thinking about the holistic view of his decision that had Notre Dame as his leader before the OU visit.
* Based on the conversations with Tyree, Long and Taylor were either going to get him back in the fold right then or force him to OU. I'll have more after signing day, but they really took their shot and it worked out. Took some serious guts to do things the way they did in regards to selling what made Notre Dame and Oklahoma different. Not in a negative recruiting way at all, it was about what made them different.
* Tyree actually committed to Notre Dame about three weeks ago. It was early in May when he called Taylor and Long and told them he was coming. The only reason it was kept quiet is because of today, he wanted to have this experience with his parents, coaches, teammates and fellow students. But this has been over for awhile.
* Since Tyree has committed I've heard from multiple sources that two other running backs tried to commit, but both were told no. The reason for the decision to turn them away, at least for now, is two-fold. One is they already landed their top back. Early on the thought was that Tyree would commit later, so they wanted to get the "big back" in the class and then hopefully add Tyree, but since the other backs waited until after Tyree the timing didn't work as well in his favor.
* But the timing also has something to do with the current team. Let's just say that Long and Taylor have a lot more faith in the current roster than they did in January and February and early March. The breakout performance of Jahmir Smith had a lot to do with that, and the late spring surge of C'Bo Flemister played a role as well. The staff also really liked what it saw from Kyren Williams. All three have freshman eligibility this fall, and with all three really stepping up their game there was no longer a "need" for a second back. Combined with the numbers in 2020 being low overall and they decided to pass on other backs.
* Think about that.
* Notre Dame is still recruiting NY running back Cullen Coleman, and if he commits to Notre Dame, which is definitely possible, he would get a shot at RB for sure. The reason they would Coleman and not Murphy or Trayanum or another back is he is a guy that grades out just as high, if not higher, on defense. Trayanum can play LB, but ND doesn't view him as a ND caliber LB, he's just a RB. Coleman can legit play defense at a place like ND, so that extra scholarship is being used for a more versatile player.
* Mike Singer will have more on what's next at RB recruiting, and the focus will be on the 2021 class. But two early names to know are Will Shipley out of North Carolina and Donovan Edwards from Michigan. Look for that story in the next day or two.
* Let's start this off from the beginning. Let's just say there's a reason Chip Long took this one over from the beginning. Two, actually. One is Tyree is special and the staff knew they had to get him. He was a game changer and the staff knew it. Two, Long was NOT going to have happen with Tyree what has happened to every other top back the staff wanted the last four years. That meant the previous RB coach had very little to do with this recruitment. I would say based on sources I've talked to that Chip Long spent more time on Tyree than any other player in this class.
* When Lance Taylor was hired is when things truly changed for ND. They were already in good shape with him based on the work Chip Long did. Long had a great message for Tyree and it resonated, which is why Nd was in good shape with him, but they weren't really in the position where his commitment was expected. Once Taylor came on board his priority number one, two and three was landing Tyree. They connected early on and Taylor not only backed up Long's vision, but he was able to sell what he did with Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love, two very similar players to Tyree. Taylor worked HARD to land this commitment.
* Oklahoma - Okay, so here's the deal on the Oklahoma situation, and there's still some things I can't share until after signing day. But Tyree was blown away by the Oklahoma visit. The offense combined with the pomp and circumstance that went into that visit. Oklahoma knows how to mask its deficiencies, maybe as good as any team in the country, and they had Chris really, really, really thinking hard about that. To the point where he almost committed during the visit. He went home and then wanted to commit to OU then, and the OU coaches knew they had a small window and they pushed HARD for him to commit. Notre Dame reacted very, very quickly. Taylor got on him right away and that got Tyree to commit to visiting in June. It wasn't until a conversation with Long that Notre Dame finally was able to stem the tide of the Oklahoma visit. Let's just say that Long was very up front and honest with Tyree and explained to him the difference between a Notre Dame guy and an Oklahoma guy, and challenged Tyree on what he wanted to be. That sunk in and got Tyree thinking about the holistic view of his decision that had Notre Dame as his leader before the OU visit.
* Based on the conversations with Tyree, Long and Taylor were either going to get him back in the fold right then or force him to OU. I'll have more after signing day, but they really took their shot and it worked out. Took some serious guts to do things the way they did in regards to selling what made Notre Dame and Oklahoma different. Not in a negative recruiting way at all, it was about what made them different.
* Tyree actually committed to Notre Dame about three weeks ago. It was early in May when he called Taylor and Long and told them he was coming. The only reason it was kept quiet is because of today, he wanted to have this experience with his parents, coaches, teammates and fellow students. But this has been over for awhile.
* Since Tyree has committed I've heard from multiple sources that two other running backs tried to commit, but both were told no. The reason for the decision to turn them away, at least for now, is two-fold. One is they already landed their top back. Early on the thought was that Tyree would commit later, so they wanted to get the "big back" in the class and then hopefully add Tyree, but since the other backs waited until after Tyree the timing didn't work as well in his favor.
* But the timing also has something to do with the current team. Let's just say that Long and Taylor have a lot more faith in the current roster than they did in January and February and early March. The breakout performance of Jahmir Smith had a lot to do with that, and the late spring surge of C'Bo Flemister played a role as well. The staff also really liked what it saw from Kyren Williams. All three have freshman eligibility this fall, and with all three really stepping up their game there was no longer a "need" for a second back. Combined with the numbers in 2020 being low overall and they decided to pass on other backs.
* Think about that.
* Notre Dame is still recruiting NY running back Cullen Coleman, and if he commits to Notre Dame, which is definitely possible, he would get a shot at RB for sure. The reason they would Coleman and not Murphy or Trayanum or another back is he is a guy that grades out just as high, if not higher, on defense. Trayanum can play LB, but ND doesn't view him as a ND caliber LB, he's just a RB. Coleman can legit play defense at a place like ND, so that extra scholarship is being used for a more versatile player.
* Mike Singer will have more on what's next at RB recruiting, and the focus will be on the 2021 class. But two early names to know are Will Shipley out of North Carolina and Donovan Edwards from Michigan. Look for that story in the next day or two.
Last edited:
