Top Notre Dame targets Chris Tyree, Braiden McGregor to announce commitments this week

Two of Notre Dame’s top football recruiting targets — Chris Tyree and Braiden McGregor — plan to announce their verbal commitments this week.

Tyree, a 2020 running back, intends to make his decision public on Thursday. CBS Sports HQ will broadcast the 3 p.m. EDT announcement, which will be held at Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale’s auditorium.

McGregor, a 2020 defensive end, plans to make his announcement on Friday. The Port Huron (Mich.) Northern auditorium will play host for the 7 p.m. EDT decision.

Notre Dame stands as a finalist for both Tyree and McGregor. Alabama and Oklahoma are Tyree’s other finalists. Michigan and Florida are considered the other contenders for McGregor.

Where should Notre Dame fans expect them to decide?

The Irish feel confident they will land Tyree. The 5-foot-10, 181-pounder would then follow through on his June 21-23 official visit to Notre Dame. Tyree almost committed to Oklahoma following his April 12-14 official visit.

Irish offensive coordinator Chip Long and running backs coach Lance Taylor prevented that from happening, though. It was suggested to Tyree that he should not make an emotional decision off a visit. Taylor conveyed the message after visiting Tyree’s school on April 16.

It looks like their persistence will pay off.

With Tyree’s elite speed (4.38 40-yard dash) and all-purpose ability, the Irish believe the four-star recruit could add another dimension to their offense. 247Sports slates Tyree as its No. 1 all-purpose back and No. 51 overall player, while Rivals ranks him No. 1 at the position and No. 60 overall.

Notre Dame might look to pair Tyree with a bigger, power back. The following running back targets fit that mold: Middle (N.Y.) Christ the King Regional’s Tirek Murphy (6-0, 220), Destrehan (La.) High’s Kyle Edwards (6-0, 210), Rye (N.Y.) Country Day School's Cullen Coleman (6-3, 220) and Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban’s DeaMonte Trayanum (5-11, 210).

Smaller backs in Fairfield (Ohio) High’s JuTahn McClain (5-9, 180) and Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha’s Marshawn Lloyd (5-9, 206) would likely be out of ND’s consideration.

The Irish are far less confident about landing McGregor. He’s had little to no contact with Notre Dame this week, which might suggest he will commit elsewhere. The 6-6, 255-pounder took an official visit to Florida over the weekend. However, Michigan has long been considered the bigger threat.

During his April 5-7 official visit to Notre Dame, McGregor came close to committing to the Irish. Though, he has almost committed to a couple other schools as well. The Irish once felt McGregor’s recruitment could last until July. That’s obviously not the case anymore. He’s been unpredictable and has the Irish guessing as of Tuesday.

Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston envisioned McGregor as his final piece for ND’s 2020 DL class. Notre Dame already holds commitments from four defensive linemen: Alexander Ehrensberger, Aidan Keanaaina, Jordan Botelho and Rylie Mills.

McGregor holds a four-star rating from 247Sports, ranking as its No. 3 strong side defensive end and No. 27 overall player. Rivals offered McGregor a three-star rating, ranking him as its No. 27 strong side defensive end.

There are a couple defensive end options beyond McGregor. Olney (Md.) Good Counsel’s Mitchell Melton and Bakersfield (Calif.) Christian’s Benjamin Yurosek, both three-star recruits, plan to take ND official visits on June 7-9 and June 21-23, respectively.

Melton ranks as 247Sports’ No. 45 outside linebacker and No. 605 overall player. Rivals slates the 6-4, 230-pounder as its No. 43 outside linebacker. 247Sports tags the 6-5, 225-pound Yurosek as its No. 28 athlete and No. 410 overall player.

ND’s 2020 class of 10 commits ranks No. 7 and No. 9 on Rivals and 247Sports, respectively.