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Notre Dame football: Irish must lean on Tyree and Estime at RB

By Brad Weiss

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Running back Chris Tyree #25 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish carries the football over the defense of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter of the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Running back Chris Tyree #25 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish carries the football over the defense of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter of the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame football team lost another running back yesterday, and heading into the summer, have only three scholarship players left at the position group.

For the Notre Dame football team, one area where they seemed to have elite depth on the offensive side of the ball was at running back. Even after losing Kyren Williams, their feature back from the 2020 and 2021 seasons to the NFL, Notre Dame football had a strong group returning.

Audric Estime and Logan Diggs are entering Year 2 in the program, and both were expected to take a major step forward in 2022. Chris Tyree returns for Year 3, and is a playmaker from the backfield, possessing the ability to take it to the house at any time through the air, or on the ground.

Add in the fact that Jadarian Price looked ready to contribute as a true freshman, and the running back room seemed set for the upcoming season. However, that was before devastating injuries to both Diggs and Price, and now, entering July, Notre Dame football has only three scholarship running backs left.

Notre Dame football must lean on Estime and Tyree

The combination of Estime and Tyree could be a big-time duo, as both have distinct and different running styles. Estime is a mountain of a man and can run over, or around defenders, while Tyree is a shifty runner who has game-breaking speed.

Of course, you would love Diggs and Price to be healthy, as that gives Tommy Rees four capable backs to choose from, especially in a gauntlet of a season that includes Clemson, Ohio State, and USC. G’Bran Payne is also in the mix, as he followed first-year running backs coach Deland McCullough from Indiana, so you can expect him to get valuable reps this summer as well.

The truth is, Williams, carried the load last season, and was supplemented by both Tyree and Diggs. Rees has proven he can lean on one main running back, and get production behind him from minimal players, so until Diggs is ready to roll, expect a heavy dose of Estime and Tyree in 2022.

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