Thomas Dale Running Back Chris Tyree A “Top Priority” For Virginia Football

Thomas Dale’s speedy all-purpose back in action at the Future 50. ~ Photo courtesy of Tyree’s Twitter account

When Virginia announced Bronco Mendenhall as its head coach in December of 2015, skeptics wondered how well and how quickly Mendenhall, who brought most of his coaching staff from BYU to Charlottesville with him, would connect with high school coaches in the Commonwealth. On paper, UVA has yet to realize tremendous in-state success in the Mendenhall era – the Hoos signed four in-state prospects in 2019, three in 2018, and eight in 2017. The former BYU head man has done well, though, in terms of reaching out to Virginia high school coaches such as Thomas Dale’s (Chester, VA) Kevin Tucker, who boasts one of the top overall prospects in 2020 in all-purpose running back Chris Tyree.

“It took a while in the getting-to-know-you process, but since day one [Coach Mendenhall and his staff] have had an open door for anyone to come up and visit and sit with them,” Tucker said. “They have done a great job of bridging the gap and making Virginia high school coaches feel welcome. I think it’s genuine. They show their true colors. [Coach Mendenhall] doesn’t try to hide who he is. He likes to be honest. There is no frill. He has a genuine love for what he does and his players, and that’s why they are still in the Chris Tyree sweepstakes.”

Tyree, a 5’10”, 175-pound junior, is rated by Rivals and 247Sports as the top all-purpose running back prospect in his class. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing – 1,465 yards and 10 touchdowns on 177 carries to be precise – and had 337 yards and two touchdowns receiving in 2018. Tyree is a standout on defense and special teams as well.

Known for his outstanding speed, Tyree posted a 4.45-second electronically-timed 40 during The Opening Finals in Texas last summer and a 4.38-second electronically-timed 40 at the Elite 11 Regional in Charlotte last April. (In addition, Tyree posted a 36.7-inch vertical leap and a 4.26-second shuttle in Charlotte.) This month he captured the Class 6A state championship in the 55 meters, posting a personal best time of 6.3-seconds that is currently the nation’s top-ranked time this indoor season.

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