PSU the latest school to offer Tyree
He may only be a freshman, but Chester, Va., native Chris Tyree has already shown that he's one of Virginia's top overall prospects. Learn the latest on where he stands with the Nittany Lions following a visit this past weekend!
Penn State may already hold a commitment from Virginia’s top 2018 running back, but James Franklin and his staff have already turned an eye to the future.
This past weekend, the Nittany Lions verbally offered Chester, Va., native and Class of 2020 running back Chris Tyree following an excellent performance during the second on-campus camp of the summer. Despite the fact that he’s only played one season of varsity ball, the Thomas Dale prospect has already holds offers from schools like Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. His recruitment, while still early, is showing a lot of similarities to C.D. Hylton running back and future Nittany Lion Ricky Slade.
“I got the whole experience,” Tyree said, when asked about his trip to Happy Valley. “I spent some good time with the coaches and I toured the campus and Lasch. Now that I’ve been to Penn State, I can definitely say that they’re a football school. Not just the school, but the entire town supports the team. That’s one thing that really stood out to me. I like that.”
Since he just recently finished his freshman year of high school, Penn State won’t be able to initiate conversations with Tyree until September 2018. Because of that, they made sure to introduce him to not just running back coach Charles Huff, but the entire coaching staff.
“Honestly, I spent a good amount of time with the entire staff,” said Tyree. “It wasn’t really just about football either. They were trying to feel me out, see what kind of person I am. At the same time, I was doing the same thing with them. I feel like we got to know each other pretty well.
“It turned out that they’re a really cool coaching staff. I feel like I can always have a good conversation with them.”
At 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Tyree’s build and athleticism is also similar to Slade. In just seven games this season, he totaled 716 yards on just 101 carries, scoring seven touchdowns. Tyree was also a homerun threat as a receiver, averaging more than 22 yards per reception.
“When I was talking to Coach Huff, he was telling me that he wants to have a good stable of Virginia running backs. Ricky Slade is committed there now, so he was saying that I’m next for them. He kept saying that I’m next in line, especially after I earned an offer.
“I went into the day feeling like I had to earn an offer from a school like that. It felt real good, especially being from a prestigious school like Penn State. It’s an amazing feeling.”
In addition to Penn State, Tyree has been able to visit Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He currently has no additional visits lined up for the summer, but noted that could change between now and the start of preseason. He’s also planning to see multiple games during the season.