Elliott on Tyree: ‘Fastest I’ve ever been around’

By Jerry Ratcliffe

There’s a reason that Virginia’s newest offensive threat, Chris Tyree, is nicknamed “The Jet.”

The former 5-star recruit out of Chester’s Thomas Dale High School couldn’t go with “The Rocket” during his four years as a standout at Notre Dame. That moniker was already taken by Rocket Ismail. Tyree, who has returned to his home state to finish his college football career, is f-a-s-s-s-t.

Just how fast is Chris Tyree?

“Man, he brings speed, and I don’t know if I’ve seen [that kind of speed] in my career,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said on Friday. “I mean, the guy is extremely, extremely fast. He’s a world-class speed kind of guy.”

Remember where Elliott, now in his third year at the helm of Virginia, came from. He was a wide receiver at Clemson and eventually served as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator during their dynamic run on the national stage. He’s seen speed, but not Tyree’s speed.

While the grad transfer could play a kind of Deebo Samuel-type role in UVA’s offense this season — primarily as a receiver who could line up in the backfield as a ballcarrier — Tyree also figures to change the Cavaliers’ special teams as a punt and kickoff return specialist.

He is one of only four players in Notre Dame history to have scored touchdowns as rusher, as a receiver, as a punt returner and as a kickoff returner. There’s Tyree along with Ismail, Tim Brown and Julius Jones (former UVA All-American Thomas Jones’ younger brother).

Playing for the Irish, Tyree posted 3,284 all-purpose yards, and 1,059 of it came from kick-return yardage.

“I’m a guy that can take any play, any circumstance, and turn it into a touchdown,” Tyree told this writer. “Just my playmaking ability, my ability to make people miss, and then once I’m out in open space, nobody’s catching me. Just being able to turn really small plays into big plays and change the game is something that is really special about my game.”

Tyree said it’s instinct blended with nerve, knowing that once he catches the ball, there’s 11 defenders charging toward him, trying to take his head off.

Elliott said the challenge for Virginia’s return teams is to do a better job of giving him some room to operate once the ball is in Tyree’s hands.

“I think he has an element that if we can get him going and spring him, that he has the juice to be able to take it the distance and he’s experienced enough to know to make good decisions,” Elliott said. “He’s going to know when he needs to concede and fair catch, and when he has an opportunity to return it. We’re excited about what he’s shown us.”

Special teams coach Keith Gaither is practically frothing at the mouth about the game-changing potential of Tyree.

“He’s as fast as anybody in the country,” Gaither said Friday. “He’s dynamic. Now, we have someone that can create explosive plays that we haven’t had in the past.

“We’ve been back there just securing the ball. If we can put a body on body, he’s got a chance to take it to the house, so that brings a lot of excitement. It also brings a lot of ownership on the guys up front to do your job because we’ve got someone who is a threat in the kicking game.”

With “The Jet” in the lineup, a player who can strike from anywhere in so many ways, it gives Virginia a desperately needed lethal weapon.