One Concept Every SEC Offense Should Feature More in 2024

Alright! We made it. Pat yourselves on the back; and if you haven’t already done so, treat yourself to a nice cool beverage. Who cares if kickoff isn't for a few more weeks!? There’s football later this month, and you should treat yourself for surviving another off-season. 

In case you didn’t know what this article is all about, the title says it all. As someone who has personally charted every offensive snap in this conference since 2018, I like to think I have a unique perspective when it comes to discussing schemes. Not only do I have receipts on what works, I have the capacity to measure recent performance against some historical trends. So with that in mind, let’s dive in and see one concept each SEC offense should feature this upcoming season. 

ALABAMA: Inverted Power Veer

Getting Jalen Milroe involved more in the run game would be a step in the right direction for Alabama’s offense this fall. Though taking sacks remains to be an area of opportunity, he was undeniably dangerous as a designed rusher. Milroe rocked a team-high Success Rate (51.6%), Explosive Run Rate (19.4%), and First Down+TD Rate (37.1%). Amongst SEC returners with at least 50 attempts, all of those are top3-worthy ahead of 2024. Zone Reads, planned keepers, and Counters did most of the damage. Tommy Reas didn’t dabble with veer options at all last regular season. All three variations received their only reps during the SEC championship game. And, all three moved the chains. The Inverted Power Veer (aka Power Read) is a natural counter to zone plays. Unlike traditional reads of that ilk, veers call for both potential rushers to hit the same side of center, ask the QB to become the inside/dive player, and create a hard-edged rush lane. On the Tide’s lone try, Milroe netted 30 yards against one of the best defenses in the nation. Tweaking the run path so it's north-south, this play has helped numerous mobile QBs kill fronts on all levels of football. And obviously, Milroe is a standout in the speed department. Plus, a few conference offenses have already laid the blueprint for giving opponents different looks with this concept. Power Veer can be seen out of empty formations, with motion receivers, and on RPOs. And the results in 2023 were pretty firm across the SEC (45% Success Rate, 6.1 Y/A). The Tide don’t have to make it their bread-and-butter play. But due to its track record helping passers gash opponents in the run game in tow with Milroe’s wheels, it’s a look that’s worth featuring more. 

AUBURN: QB Draw RPOs

Auburn’s run game was underrated last year. Besides Missouri and LSU, no other conference offense saw 5 of their 6 most-repped rush concepts top a 46% Success Rate. The script was mostly composed of zones. Yet, QB Draws proved to be a dependable wrinkle for Hugh Freeze’s offense. The concept was a perfect changeup and remains to be a trendy tactic across a number of schemes. A good amount of defenses focused on hawking Auburn’s backs. Makes sense. After all, Auburn was one of the most ground-oriented attacks in the Power5. Thorne’s rushing ability was largely an afterthought for many. Looking at his Pressure:Sack Ratio, the disrespect was understandable. But on a 60% Success Rate, a third of his draws gained at least 10 yards. Only a single try went for a loss. Of course, returns should be strong. QB Draw RPOs are set-up to succeed. This past fall, the SEC’s cumulative Success Rate was near 51%. Like any option, they attempt to game defenses into trigger responses that dictate where the ball goes. If the defense doesn’t respect numbers in the box, then the QB has a greenlight to keep the ball. But if opponents start peeking into the backfield or not accounting for everyone out-wide, that’s when he looks to find an outlet. The idea is to provide maximum lateral stress on secondaries so that they’re stretched sideline-to-sideline. In this analyst’s opinion, there are four primary tags for QB Draws (RB swing screen, “Ohio/Slice/Okie”, Stick, and Bench); Auburn featured three of them. And while Thorne’s debut season on the Pains was rocky, he was pretty consistent hitting his targets outside the numbers. Only two SEC starters beat his 63.6% Accuracy% on such attempts. So as is, the Tigers are well-primed to keep foes off-balance with these looks again this fall. 

ARKANSAS: Inverted Power Veer

Though this concept has had inconsistent usage and results under Sam Pittman’s watch, Arkansas should explore making it one of their most-featured looks this fall. Like Alabama, the Hogs will be gifted with one of the swiftest QBs in college football. Additionally, despite some incendiary reps – including a 70-yard score in the Mountain West Championship – Taylen Green doesn’t have a lot of experience with the design. Boise only repped the play 4x against their hardest opponents over the last two seasons. But if anyone is aware of what the Power Veer can offer, it’s Bobby Petrino. He and his Louisville offenses spammed it plenty with Lamar Jackson behind center. Doing so helped the Cards win a good amount of games as well as Jackson bring home a Heisman. Jackson still reps the play to great effect in the professional ranks. In case you didn’t notice he has two MVP trophies under the age of 27. Green is of a different mold (6’ 6, 220) but presents to be just as dynamic thanks to his physical abilities with the ball in his hands. Even if he shows up ready to rock, creating positive inertia will be key to these potential snaps. Last year, almost 24% of the Razorbacks’ designed runs experienced initial defensive contact behind the line of scrimmage. And, KJ Jefferson’s 27 such tries were a team-high. But, only 5 (18.5%) went for a loss, which was roughly 30 percentage points above the SEC average Negative Run Rate in this context. Opponents will still have a bullseye marked on the Hogs’ QB1. And though Green himself presents to be a burly rusher with the prerequisite zeal needed to limit backsteps, rush yards come much easier without immediate obstacles in a ball carrier’s path. Arkansas’ OLine must do their part in creating space for Green to show off his legs. 

FLORIDA: WR Misdirections

Billy Napier’s offenses lean into deception tactics and tend to be busy pre-snap. Displaying eye candy is undeniably a bit part of the operation. In fact, a third of Florida’s snaps last year incorporated a form of Jet or Orbit motion – far and away the most in the SEC. About 30% of Graham Mertz’ attempts featured those movements. Nearly half of his such dropbacks used play action. Plus, Florida was the only SEC offense to dedicate a +2.0% Play Share to Utah/tap passes. Roughly a fifth of the Gators’ at-snap motion plays was a designed WR touch. And, Eugine Wilson was the vessel on over half of them. For the most part, opponents opted to direct their attention elsewhere and limit vertical offerings, which opened up plenty of room underneath for those touches to do work. If last year’s lack of downfield pop keeps clouding this offense, going all-in on the gadgety could be an easy fix in providing more potency. After all, Utah passes rocked a 50% Success Rate in meaningful minutes. And despite modest reps, Reverses and End Arounds combined for a 78% clip on a 12.8 Y/A. Presuming foes will defend Florida similarly in 2024, the Gators should crank WR misdirection usage up to 11. Not only is Wilson a budding playmaker, newcomer Elijah Badger is a hassle himself. Over the last two years, he’s forced 51 missed tackles after the catch. And this past season, his 40% such rate was one of the 10 best in college football. Though big gainers come easier on downfield targets, Florida’s YAC ability is a clear strength. Featuring more gimmes appears to be a safe, easy way to grease their bottomline. Plus, if all goes to plan and opponents start peeking into the backfield, just maybe Mertz can fix his vexing verticality and nab more downfield wins. 

GEORGIA: Swing Screen-Pass Options

Screen-Pass Options (SPOs) aren’t entirely new. Schemes have coupled quick game staples like Stick or Slants opposite outlet screens for some time now. But in the ever-evolving arms race, play callers have had breakthroughs the last few seasons progressing these looks. Often from four-man surfaces – or formations with four eligible pass catchers on the same side of center – traditional trio patterns embed swing screens within their designs. Aided by the extra body, the flat route commonly featured on concepts like Sail, Scissor, Spot/Snag, and Spacing transforms into a quick outlet. Though plays designed to thwart zones outright, the swing’s personal protector adds even more potential stress to the equation. If coveragemen sit back in their shells, an easy chance to the back is there. But if focus hits the backfield, passers can find guys wide-open on bankable concepts. Georgia was the SEC’s biggest believer in Swing SPOs in 2023. Excluding old-school designs, the Dawgs repped 22 across the season; 8 were seen over their last 3 games. For what it’s worth, Spot/Snag was UGA’s favorite pairing. But no matter the pattern, Carson Beck found 7 different receivers on these snaps and had examples targeting every route in the progression. And behind excellent execution and opponents being behind the trend, Georgia produced a mighty 72.7% Success Rate on a 7.9 Y/A. In meaningful minutes, only RPO Slide, Flat, and Tunnel Screens netted a better clip than these SPOs. For an offense that yearns to always be one step ahead of opponents – both literally and figuratively – continuing to sprinkle in these looks would be prudent. 

KENTUCKY: Play Action Bootlegs

For the third time in as many seasons, UK will have a new offensive coordinator. And as the Wildcats plan to fully embrace the “Spread-a-han” scheme under Bush Hamdam, the unit should be prepared to feature a couple of concepts regularly no matter the matchup. One will be the scheme’s core look: the Outside Zone Off-Tackle. And the other should be its pass game complement: Play Action Bootlegs. Since Off-Tackles call for deliberate, coordinated movement from the guys upfront, defenses often can overreact to their movement. And it’s common practice to flood the opposite side of center with routes once defenses have their collective attention pulled. UK has been accustomed to repping both concepts in recent years. In fact, Off-Tackle was the most-featured last year. But to fully realize Mark Stoops’ goal of having the best run-pass marriage in the conference, the Cats need to call at least four Bootlegs a game. Over the last three seasons, they’ve averaged under two per contest despite over half of them finding situational success. Besides the clear complementary nature of Bootlegs, they also get passers on the move and simplify reads, which are elements UK has been exploring this off-season to help Brock Vandagriff make an immediate impact. And in terms of specific patterns, UK’s braintrust won’t have to do much heavy lifting. Plenty of serviceable blueprints are out there that are quite effective at duping defenses. The Cats can play fast, line-up and go. Or, they can use active window-dressings to keep defenses on their heels. Motion to swap routes around and create hot route stressors certainly should be examined; especially with the dynasim UK has at receiver. Plus, the dedication to the idea might result in opponents needing an extra beat to diagnose what exactly is going on, which would allow the Cats to gain an edge regardless of what they call. 

LSU: Counter

Under Brian Kelly, LSU’s run game has been fairly straight forward. Without much frills or fanfare, the Tigers strive to knock fronts back between the tackles. Duo Dives and Zone Reads largely have buttressed the Bayou Bengals’ rushing efforts each of the last two seasons. Pulling linemen just isn’t a visible trait for this scheme. Last year, less than 14% of the Tigers’ runs pulled somebody. Perhaps, that needs to change. Jayden Daniels’ legs hid many of LSU’s issues running the ball. Though he kicked ass on the way to a Heisman, Tiger RBs experienced less cushion, potency, and consistency on their touches. Without JD’s runs, LSU would have finished well-below the SEC average in rush yards before contact and Explosive Run Rate. Moving forward, Garrett Nussmeier simply won’t command the same level of “gravity” pulling defenders to create extra room to run. So, the onus will be on LSU’s laudable line to do the heavy lifting and forge holes the old-fashioned way. Though a number of concepts are great at “establishing it”, the hard-nosed gap scheme Counter should be scripted more by this offense this fall. Again, pull plays weren’t major parts of the operation. Counter only averaged 2 reps/game. This look acted as a literal counter to the Tigers’ base runs. But despite being buried on the call sheet, GY Counter has averaged over 7.0 Y/A in meaningful minutes over the last two years. This past season, LSU manage to sport a 60% Success Rate repping it. Not only should more be in store in 2024 due to the concept’s merit, but the displacement might also come in handy on early down RPOs. It wasn’t that long ago LSU receivers would house glance slants opposite gap schemes for scores. The new offensive braintrust doesn’t have to go totally nuts scripting Counter, but the concept needs to be more than just an occasional play to feature.

OLE MISS: Y-Insert

Ole Miss has one of the most diverse run games in college football. An incredible 12 rush concepts received at least a dozen reps in meaningful minutes last year. Among the top6, half were zones and half were gap schemes. They rocked straight tries, tosses, veers, read options, receiver runs, and were the conference’s leader in Bash reps (where the QB and RB swap run paths). But, this balanced aggression hitting the ground had one clear winner amongst their most-scripted looks: Y-Insert. None of their other top8 concepts in terms of Play Share – run or pass – bested its 65.7% Success Rate. Plus, nearly a quarter of rush attempts gained at least 10 yards. And since it kept working, the Rebels kept running it; 60% of its attempts came after the midway point. All in all, Y-Insert action was featured on roughly 7% of Ole Miss’s offensive snaps and seen 5x per game on average. In meaningful minutes specifically, reps almost quadrupled year-over-year. Yes, Caden Prieskorn and Dae’Quan Wright are clear matchup creators in the pass game. But, both are also burly enough to snake through the line and seal a dropping backer trying to manage an undermanned box. For what it’s worth, Y-Insert coupled with hitches were one of the Rebels’ top RPO pairings. Though there is worry this look is near-peak and replicating its output will be difficult, this braintrust should at least give more weight towards its best run before fading it outright. After all, one of the largest areas of opportunities lies in the line’s ability to limit early contact and prevent losses. Last year, 26% of the Rebels’ runs saw initial defensive engagement behind the line of scrimmage and recorded the SEC’s 2nd-worst Negative Run Rate at 13.6%. But on Y-Insert tries, those clips plummeted to 12% and 2.4%, respectively. 

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Outside Zone Stab

Since the Veer and Shoot and its core principles are becoming more commonplace, rookie head coach Jeff Lebby might be inclined to zag on Day One in Year Zero. Defenses are now well-aware of the scheme’s staple runs (man/duo, zone reads, insert, and counter) from spread 11 personnel. And based on the present state of the program, the Bulldogs aren’t built to win many battles in phone booths straight-up. This staff needs to be able to craft wins while catching opponents off-guard. One approach rests leaning into the recent league-wide affinity for Off-Tackles while implementing a seldom-used wrinkle from Lebby’s days under Lane Kiffen that also happened to be a relatively successful look for Miss State last fall. The Bulldogs’ brief foray into the “Spread-a-han” offense didn’t birth much optimism. But Outside Zone Stab – where a backside TE flows behind the line and snakes through as a lead blocker frontside – finished with a 50% Success Rate in meaningful minutes; a feat only accomplished by four other concepts. The play aims to get a speedy back towards the perimeter where there are less defenders while also bolstering the block flow from middle penetration. Not only is it a clever tendency-breaker, but Stab is also a good compliment towards the Veer and Shoot’s main runs; especially from “sniffer sets” with a detached end. Plus, recency bias is screaming, “Full steam ahead.” Of the 24 Stab plays last fall, 17 occurred over the last six games on a 8.4 Yards/Attempt. 

MISSOURI: Inside Zone Split

Eli Drinkwitz’s offense will always go as its bread-and-butter Outside Zone Off-Tackle does. Two years ago, the Tigers sucked repping it, and Coach found his seat getting a little warm. But of course after fixing the leaks, the perimeter run propelled Missouri to its first 10-win campaign in a decade; and many now view them as a trendy dark horse to make this year’s playoff. Suggesting to fade or boost Off-Tackle’s usage is overly a moot point. So, the Tigers should focus on maximizing a tertiary look that compliments their go-to concept in an attempt to throw defenses off the scent. OZ OT made up over 55% of Missouri’s run plays from the pistol. Even with motion and deception, there’s usually no grand game of cat and mouse between offense and defense. But since opponents naturally eye the edge in anticipation, repping a slashing middle zone is worth exploring. Though the Tigers already feature a healthy amount of Inside Zone Reads, IZ Split proved to be more cutting last fall. Only one look topped its 62.5% Success Rate, and only one run bested its 6.5 Y/A. Often mimicking Off-Tackle usage by featuring plenty of eye candy (81.3% rate), reps increased in the back half of the schedule. Of its 16 reps, 13 were logged after the South Carolina game. Missouri called as many IZ Split runs last year than the previous three combined. Both its visibility as well as its efficiency was a new trait for the offense. But considering the recent results, fit within the macro operation, and Missouri’s pedigree on the interior OL, the Tigers present to have a nice little counter up their sleeves. 

OKLAHOMA: QB Draw RPOs

Oklahoma is a big believer in helping out its passers with scheme elements. Both Dillon Gabriel and Jackson Arnold benefited from those tactics on over 60% of their attempts against heightened competition last year. Even without Jeff Lebby calling plays, the Sooners are set up to feature plenty of RPO looks this fall. They have a breakaway specialist at RB and a solid group of pass catchers needed to stress opponents inside the box as well as out on the perimeter. Both should take pressure off Jackson as well as a hodgepodge OL. The main script should feature the typical types of RPOs featured in recent years. But, I would consider asking their sensational sophomore QB to be the driver a little more. Draw RPOs weren’t incredibly visible across 2023. But they played a major role in the Sooners upending archrival Texas in last year’s Red River Rivalry. In that game, all four worked including a 44-yarder that flipped the field in the 4th quarter. Like his predecessor, Jackson lacks ideal stature. Despite clear mobilty, asking him to bang inside and be a significant ball carrier isn’t entirely sustainable across a whole season. But, occasionally hiding behind big bodies and seizing green grass can play to his advantage. And this concept’s success hasn’t been isolated to just a few teams or a few matchups. Within the SEC last year, no run concept outside of WR End Arounds sported more value/rep than QB Draws. So why not draw one up per game if you’re the Sooners?

SOUTH CAROLINA: Blazer Shots

South Carolina’s shortcoming in the trenches has handcuffed its offense for the past few seasons. The Gamecocks are often the conference’s worst at generating rush yards before contact, and the team’s Pressure Rate allowed has worsened three years in a row. The sour blocking has seen the team surrender the highest Negative Play Rate each of the last two seasons. Even the rostered pro-caliber players couldn’t overcome that level of adversity. Spencer Rattler was forced to play hot potato far more often than he would’ve liked. Despite his live arm, no SEC passer dedicated a higher percentage of their throws 10 yards-and-in over the last two years. Targeting short also made producing splash plays that much more difficult. Almost out of necessity, the scheme has had to rely on vertical stabs outside the numbers in order to win deep. But based on the Gamecocks’ own returns as well as some recent results across the SEC, Blazer Shots ought to be featured at least once a game this fall. All 5 of the ones repped in meaningful minutes resulted in a completion for 206 yards. By volume, only one other concept totaled more outside of garbage time. Similar to Yankee and Portland Shots, an intermediate route attempts to draw a middle safety’s attention so that a deep post can come open. But instead of a cross or dig, the midrange man runs a blaze out or anchor hook that works back outside. Though we are working with a relatively small sample size, Lanorris Sellers has a chooch and Nycoles Harbor is known to be a burner. Even with the massive concerns upfront, the Gamecocks need to lean into capturing explosives with this trendy pattern. 

TENNESSEE: Zone Stretch Option

Heupel’s Veer and Shoot is all about getting vertical. The pass patterns are overly up-and-down and work outside the numbers. Most run concepts aim to feast on undermanned boxes and hit between the tackles. Aided by wide splits and stressing tactics, the scheme is quite effective in what it aims to accomplish. Though sound outright, Josh Heupel has pledged to adapt his offense to better suit Nico Iamaleava. That can be interpreted a number of ways, but hopefully that means Tennessee will feature their passer’s mobility more; both on work outside the pocket as well as a designed rusher. Iamaleava no doubt will be a dangerous keep threat off Tennessee’s core looks. But, Vols could break tendency and start hammering edges with the Zone Stretch Option. Often reserved for redzone or short yardage spots, it’s been a consistent winner since 2021. Along with well over half of its tries working, the concept has rocked a 7.8 Y/A for this offense. For as much as the Vols bash inside, this perimeter run is worthy of two tries a game. Iamaleava will have broken play heroics and scrambles to space. But, his wheels and smooth cutting ability need to be featured within structure much more than what Heupel’s last two signal callers. And unlike other forms of options that often see QBs exposed in space, the zone blocking flow matches the backfield’s run path and adds additional security, which raises this concept’s floor. 

TEXAS: Cross

This concept has long been an Air Raid staple. And over the last few decades, it has been so effective practically every scheme has found a way to feature it in their own way. Rooted by an under-over intermediate cross, this weak flood also sees a backside “hunt” route that typically results in a dig, curl, or post. As one of the game’s premier offensive minds, Sark is often ahead of the curve featuring fun looks. He has a great understanding of successful concepts and has a sharp awareness of recent trends. But no matter how his teams have been constructed, Cross has remained a bankable play for his offenses over the last half-decade. Even the Longhorns’ best defensive opponents had trouble curbing the concept this past season. Featured on roughly 12% of their plays in those games, it drew 12 outright targets and produced a 75% Success Rate and 16.0 Y/A. And being the clever play caller that he is, Sark often window dresses the pattern so it can take on many forms. Along with running the traditional Y-Cross, his offenses swap route assignments, try it from a dozen formations, and typically present a moving target pre-snap with motions and shifts. Play actions, pullers, and eye candy constantly put opposing linebackers in binds. And naturally when a crosser goes over the middle, the ante gets upped often resulting in the aforementioned greatness. There’s a strong case for Texas to have this concept lead its script in 2024. Though a passer capable of uncorking passes deep, Ewers has shown to be a comfortable layerer of the football in the midrange game. Floods of all forms, not just Cross, seem to suit his M.O. Plus, bringing in a new crop of versatile, proven pass catchers that can threaten foes at all depths is a great recipe for continued success. 

TEXAS A&M: Guard Down

Bobby Petrino guided a subtle shift in the Aggies run game in his lone season in College Station. Though TAMU largely kept repping its core concepts, there was a visible emphasis hitting the edge. To that point, Outside Zone Off-Tackle saw is usage practically double year-over-year despite unsatisfactory results. But its gap scheme sister concept, Guard Down, blossomed. A formerly invisible play, it finished as the Aggies’ most successful look among their top10 scripted concepts last fall. G-Down and Off-Tackles are basically the same play but with one key difference. While the entire line flows in a coordinated fashion in attempt to reach and seal the defensive front on Off-Tackles, a playside fold occurs on G-Down that creates a preferred run lane. Often towards the strength of the formation, both the tight end and tackle block down towards the guard – hence its name – so the guard can loop around and trap and edge defender. For what it’s worth, a good amount of zone-based run schemes will have that wrinkle baked into the operation. Depending on the front or available leverage opportunity, the line can call for the fold themselves. But either way, the Aggies showed last year it’s a great complement and answer to upfield rushers stubborn perimeter defender that hold firm. Like Petrino, Colin Klein leans towards more multiple sets. His offenses usually have an edge and grit factor about them. Though there is no guarantee he’ll implement anything from yesteryear into his attack, G-Down is a pugnacious play that aligns with his offensive philosophy. And based on how a mid unit was able to deliver value with it, featuring it wouldn’t be the worst practice. 

VANDERBILT Spot/Snag

To use a technical term, Vanderbilt’s offense has been ‘total ass’ over the last half-decade. The Commodores struggle to play with any zeal, consistency, or discernible tactical advantage. Undercut by poor process and subpar talent, they are often the poster children for what NOT to do offensively. The staff has tried throwing crap at the wall, but nothing has been sticking. Some years, Vandy comes out with neat ideas but just cannot execute. In others, they lean into standard and conventional approaches but fail to stand out on the stat sheet. And since the 'Dores typically play from behind, the offense has found great difficulty building an identity and rallying around stuff that works. Constantly chasing has prevented anything from delivering value. Last year was such a disappointment that no concept with over a dozen tries in meaningful minutes sported a Success Rate over 47%. No other conference offense could say the same. On paper, nothing from the previous scheme should be replicated. But perhaps, some new coaching points and some fresh blood can reinvigorate the unit. At New Mexico State, Diego Pavia dealt with plenty of adversity. He was often pressured, knocked down, and demoralized by drops. But one basic concept kept delivering value against heightened G5 competition: the Spot/Snag concept. The Aggies featured more in that six game stretch than the Dores did all of last year. Truth be told, Vandy had good reason to fade the basic three-man pattern; none of its 8 targets worked. But, Pavia and company delivered a 81% Success Rate; mostly thanks to moving him outside the pocket on this pattern to facilitate his vision on distance to throw. This was a small, yet effective, tweak. Recommending a remedial offense to lean into quick game concepts isn’t sexy or otherworldly. But, this offense needs to find a trusty look in the worst way. Clark Lea’s job depends on it.