Coach ,

The key to moving the football against today’s dynamic defenses is to be able to stretch the defense both horizontally and vertically. 

Teams are getting better at defending the RPO. While it remains a very effective way to make a defense wrong, there has to be some sort of vertical attack component that goes beyond the level 2 defender read. 

These three coaches have proven their effectiveness with RPO and they share their Level 3 RPO concepts. These attack the defense in a way that they not only pick up a chunk, but they also have the ability to hit the home run.  

You will definitely want to check out the videos shared in the links. The one’s I have included are longer and give you a ton of detail. Just click on the images.

#1 Power with Glance

Lucas Lueders was the 2018 Football Scoop NAIA Co-Coordinator of the year. He won a national championship at Morningside College and has moved on to Central Missouri. 

In this video he shares his RPO which allows 6 for 6 in the box with Power attacks the safety who has a run fit in the 4-2-5.  

They run a bang-8 or glance route to attack him (click on image for video):

#2 QB Draw with Go and Outs

Marcel Quarterman, OC at Kutztown University utilizes his QB as the runner along with RPOs that can hit on multiple levels.

Because there is no mesh, a QB can make a read at level 2 to 3 and have a planned place to run.  In this concept that run is a QB Draw.  

In the video Coach Quarterman explains how they read this and how the 3rd Level shot comes into play.

#3 Zone Read GO

Brent Dearmon is one of the most sought after teachers of RPO by other FBS coaches. Now the OC at MTSU, Dearmon has long been using a Level 3 RPO which has been devastating to defenses.  

It’s one he learned while he was at Auburn with Gus Malzahn, and he's taken it with him to his other stops. Here is Zone Read-Go.

As discussed throughout this off season, finding ways to protect the run with RPO and protect the RPO when the defense has answers, is time well spent this off season.  The 3rd Level RPO gives you another tool in your offensive tool box.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski