Insight on Chicago Bear QB Tsyon Bagent’s College Offense
Oct 27, 2023 1:01 pm
Coach ,
Videos and articles about Chicago Bears rookie QB Tyson Bagent went viral this week after leading the Bears to just their 2nd win while stepping in for Justin Fields.
In the five years games Bagent played at Shepherd, the Rams won 44 games. Bagent led his team to the DII football semifinals in 2021 and 2022.
He came out of Shepherd University as the record holder of just about every passing stat at the school and set the D2 record for career TD passes.
He was named to numerous lists and honors including winning the 2021 Harlon Hill Award which is D2’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
Bagent was an unranked quarterback at Martinsburg High School. He played football and basketball, leading Martinsburg to the 2016 and 2017 West Virginia football state championships. He finished his career with 7,800 passing yards and 112 touchdowns.
This week Good Morning Football’s Pete Schrager interviewed Shepherd Head Coach Ernie McCook about Tyson. Here’s a clip of it on X:
Beyond Tyson’s work ethic and extreme workouts that Coach McCook shared, the coaches at Shepherd did a great job of protecting him. He was sacked just 1.6 times per game his senior year, and 1.0 times per game in 2021 in which he won the Harlon Hill. This allowed him to have huge stats in his junior and senior years:
2022: 400 of 572 for 4580, 70%, 305.33/game with 41 TD/8INT
2021: 391 of 579 for 5000 yards, 68%, 333.33 per game with 53 TD/13INT
He led the Rams to back to back semi-finalist finishes in ‘21-22.
Mike Protection
For any good QB to excel like Bagent did, it starts with providing him a clean pocket. Coach mcCook explains their Mike protection in following video. It is a protection that puts the Mike in the sort of the offensive line and allows them to use the RB to help on Sam and Will. In their protection, the center would make the call but Coach McCook allowed QB Tyson Bagent to overrule that and adjust the call where he would see fit.
Set Your Players Up For Success
The Offensive Coordinator in 2021 Jesse Correll made it a point to put his players in the best position for success that he could. For him that started with having a strong understanding of what they did well and what needed work by utilizing self scout.
He explains his process here:
The Shepherd staff also set Bagent and his teammates up for success by utilizing schemes they could succeed in as well as always giving them the best opportunity to win each play by having checks to put themselves into a better play.
Coach Correll illustrates his favorite Stick Slop and one of the checks in this next set of videos.
Protecting the Quarterback well and putting your players in the best plays to increase their chance for success might not make your QB an All-American like Tyson Bagent, but of course it is a great formula for successful offense.
Thank you to Coach McCook and Coach Correll for putting these presentations together for the Maryland Football Foundation.
Best of luck this weekend!
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski