Notre Dame & Virginia Running Backs: As Good As It Gets

Thursday’s much celebrated verbal pledge from Chester, Va., speedster Chris Tyree could continue a remarkable tradition in the Notre Dame backfield.

When it comes to running backs, a few states have produced a higher volume for the Fighting Irish than Virginia, but none in the last 50 years has had the enormous success rate and overall production. In the listed 5-10, 185-pound Tyree — the nation’s No. 1-ranked all-purpose back by Rivals.com (and No. 60 prospect overall) — head coach Brian Kelly and his staff landed a game-breaking element to the offense.

Because of Notre Dame’s 2013 union with the ACC and its greater emphasis now on the mid-Atlantic and Sun Belt regions, Virginia, the Carolinas — two growing football hotbeds after being known mostly in the past for basketball — and Georgia have become areas where we expect the Irish to enhance their success the most.