Coach -

When most teams hit the red zone or face third-and-short, they double down on their identity. At Marist, TJ Weyl does the opposite. The Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach doesn’t just call plays—he builds opportunities to get creative when the field shrinks and the stakes rise.

In the Marist meeting room, they have a phrase: “Let’s get weird.” That isn’t a gimmick. It’s a green light to step outside the base offense and chase new ways to stress a defense. Short yardage and red zone downs become a lab, a place to test wrinkles that don’t show up between the 20s.

“We felt like those were the moments to get more interesting,” Weyl said. “We don’t have to rush. We can take time, line up in something weird, shift, trade, motion—force the defense to respond.”

They Don’t Run Their Quarterback—So They Found Another Way

Marist doesn’t rely on a dual-threat quarterback. That constraint could have limited their run game in short-yardage spots. Instead, it became a reason to explore alternatives.

Weyl and his staff turned to Wildcat looks, late motions into hidden Wildcat, and a quirky backfield wrinkle they call the spin series. Each gave them a way to create an extra gap or force defenses to declare their structure. More importantly, each kept the quarterback out of harm’s way.

“Quarterback run wasn’t something we built around,” Weyl said. “But we still needed that element. So we found it through personnel, motion, and formation.”

The Hidden Wildcat

Rather than line up in a classic Wildcat set, Marist finds ways to get there late. They use motion to shift a running back behind center just before the snap, disguising their intent until it’s too late for the defense to adjust.

Defensive players key alignment. Coaches key tendencies. Weyl’s hidden Wildcat disrupted both.

The late motion into a direct-snap look challenged the defense’s rules. Gap fits shifted. Communication got muddy. And because it showed up sparingly—but in high-leverage moments—it caught teams unprepared.

The Spin Series

The “spin series” flips the quarterback and running back pre-snap. The quarterback motions out. The back rotates in behind the center. Then the offense rolls.

Weyl won’t take credit for inventing the idea—he picked it up at a clinic—but he’s found ways to tailor it to Marist’s personnel. The spin look adds a layer of deception and puts the ball in the hands of their best runner, all while dressing the play in a new way.

It forces the defense to make a decision: adjust fast, or play a base look against a non-base formation.

Video: Preview - Spin Series

Red Zone Creativity With Purpose

None of these tactics live in isolation. Marist doesn’t install trick plays just to check a box. Each fits within the broader offensive vision and complements what they already do.

What makes Weyl’s approach different is when and how he uses these concepts. He treats the red zone, short yardage, and goal line like their own game. Different pace. Different rules. Different playbook.

And in those moments, “getting weird” gives them the edge.

Thank you to Coach Weyl for presenting this at Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic!

-The Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic Team

TJ Weyl - Creative Solutions in SY/GL