JJ Elkins, Spec Teams Coord/WR Coach, Hardin-Simmons

Full video on Glazier Drive: Shallow Cross Passing Series out of the Hardin-Simmons Smashmouth Power Spread

OVERVIEW

Coach Elkins breaks down Hardin-Simmons' Shallow Cross series, explaining why it's a staple concept: high completion percentage, effective against both man and zone coverage, built-in hot routes vs. pressure, and enough flexibility (via motion, shifts, tempo, personnel) to look different every time while staying the same core play. His philosophy: master a small number of concepts and dress them up, rather than installing dozens of schemes.

CONCEPT STRUCTURE

Everything is organized around identifying who runs the shallow (no deeper than 3 yards, working underneath the linebackers). Once players know who has the shallow, the rest of the concept falls into place:

• First receiver opposite the shallow runs a 10-yard dig
• First receiver outside the dig runs a post
• Running back protects to the shallow side, then releases to replace the shallow
• The player on the same side as the shallow runs a vertical (wheel or corner, depending on personnel), releasing vertical for three steps before bending into the route to stay clear of the shallow underneath

TEACHING POINTS FOR THE SHALLOW RECEIVER

First step should attack across the field, climbing to a depth of three yards, then continuing to run and stretch horizontally. Coaches don't want the receiver to sit down versus man or zone — this preserves the stretch on the defense and avoids clogging the same window as the dig.

QUARTERBACK PROGRESSION

The QB's eyes go to the flat defender opposite the shallow's origin:

1. If the flat defender sinks or doesn't run with the shallow — throw the shallow first.
2. If the flat defender leverages the shallow — QB's eyes move to the playside safety.
3. If the safety gets depth — throw the dig in the window.
4. If the safety stays on the dig — progress to the post (rarely reached in practice).
5. If nothing's open — checkdown to the back or QB scramble.

TAGS AND VARIATIONS

• Switch tag: Flips the backside dig/post assignments; in a 2x2 set, this can turn into a vertical instead of a post.
• 3x1 trips look (61 Switch): The slot receiver's job is to occupy the middle-field safety — whether that turns into a double-dig look or he has to climb over the top into the post, his role is to pull that defender away and open space underneath.

COACHING PHILOSOPHY TAKEAWAY

The system is designed to be easy to teach because it hinges on one identifier (who has the shallow), letting coaches install multiple formations, motions, and tags quickly without overloading players with unrelated rules per play.

Kyle Barnes, CB Coach, James Madison

Full video on Glazier Drive:  DB Man Coverage Technique & Drills

OVERVIEW

This video breaks down the core DB drills used to train defensive backs through the "break zone" — the moment a receiver transitions out of his release and into his route break. The central theme across every drill is eye discipline: keeping the eyes locked on the receiver's hip to read and mirror his movement in real time.

THE STUTTER DRILL

The foundational drill. The receiver must sell a realistic release and route — no half-effort reps — while the DB keeps his eyes on the receiver's hip. One coaching addition: the receiver calls out a number held at his hip, reinforcing that the DB is actually watching (not guessing). The mantra used throughout: "he sinks, I sink" — the DB's hips match the receiver's hip sink in real time, then the DB accelerates out and finishes with his hands on the ball.

OPEN HIP VS. CLOSED HIP BREAKS

Two variations of the same drill, differentiated by the DB's hip position relative to his break direction:

• Open hip break: the DB's hips are already open toward the direction he's driving.
• Closed hip break: the DB's hips are closed to the break direction, requiring him to fully turn his hips, flatten the route, and drive back downhill while competing through hand-fighting.

COACHING DETAILS CALLED OUT ON FILM

While reviewing reps, the coach flags small technical issues that affect outcomes — for example, shoulders turning too far square (facing the goalpost) instead of staying closer to a 45-degree angle, which slowed a DB's break. Good eye discipline is repeatedly credited as the reason a DB stays in phase even when footwork isn't perfect.

MENTAL PROCESSING / TRIGGERS

A key coaching philosophy: physical drills should build a mental "if-this-then-that" reaction. Specific receiver cues (body language, landmarks, movements) should automatically trigger the correct DB response, rather than the DB just running around reacting late.

THE PRESSURE LEAN DRILL

Teaches DBs to read a receiver "leaning" into them at the top of the route — a cue that the receiver is about to break away. The coaching point: meet pressure with pressure. If the DB doesn't press back into the receiver, his chest and pad level pop up, causing separation and putting the DB in catch-up mode. This drill is eventually combined with the stutter drill once each concept is trained individually.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR COACHES

• Eyes on the hip is the anchor technique tying every drill together.
• "He sinks, I sink" is the core timing cue to teach.
• Open vs. closed hip breaks should be drilled separately since they demand different footwork.
• Use game-rep film review to reinforce small technical corrections (shoulder angle, pad level).
• Pressure lean is a recognition drill, not just a physical one — it's about training the DB's read.

Colin Duling, OC/QB Coach, Bethel (MN)

Full video on Glazier Drive:  Mixers out of the Spread Offense: PROs, Screens, & Compliments (Includes QB Technique/Drills)

WHAT "PRO" MEANS IN THIS SYSTEM

PRO stands for Pass-Run Option — essentially their flipped acronym for RPO, but with a key philosophical difference. These plays serve as the offense's quick-game package, pairing a run scheme (instead of a traditional quick-game protection) with quick passing concepts. The built-in checkdown on every PRO is always a quarterback run.

PRO VS. RPO: THE KEY DISTINCTION

The coach draws a clear line between RPOs and PROs. On an RPO, the quarterback only throws if he's 90% or more confident in completing it — otherwise he hands the ball off. On a PRO, the quarterback is pass-first: he comes to the line intending to throw, and only turns it into a QB run if the pass isn't there. This makes PROs a true progression read rather than a pre-determined percentage decision.

INSTALL METHOD AND DRILLS

Because roster size is limited (no scout team/extra bodies), they use specialists, injured receivers, or extra quarterbacks to stand in at each receiver spot. Quarterbacks then rep throwing to every single spot in rapid-fire, sequential order at first, then in mixed order to simulate real progression reads. The goal is to make every eligible receiver a legitimate option in the quarterback's mind.

THE BASE PLAY: HITCHES The foundational PRO is a five-hitch concept — all five eligible receivers run hitch routes while the offensive line blocks quarterback ISO. This is treated as their simplest, most repeatable play, meant to be a high-efficiency staple of the offense. On this particular play, the quarterback doesn't work a strict progression (1-2-3); instead, he's coached to identify pre-snap or immediately post-snap which hitch is the easiest/most open and throw that one, since all routes develop on the same timing.

FORMATION AND PERSONNEL FLEXIBILITY

The same core concept gets dressed up differently week to week: tight ends released on flat routes, receivers swapped into "spot" routes, screens replacing some hitches, stack/double-stack alignments, and running backs used as an extra ISO blocker (6th gap runner) when not in true empty sets. The coaching point emphasized: it's still the "same play" mentally for the quarterback, just with different bodies filling the same roles/reads.

QB TECHNIQUE COACHING POINTS

• Quarterback's drop should be shallow — heels around 5 yards deep, only losing about half a yard on the rocker step.
• Avoid a "punch step" (common with new quarterbacks) that pushes depth to 6.5 yards, since that puts him out of phase with the run scheme if he keeps it.
• Immediately get vertical after the catch/throw decision.
• Read the numbers/leverage post-snap (e.g., recognizing four defenders shifted to one side, leaving a receiver uncovered on the other).

GAME EXAMPLES SHOWN

Multiple in-season clips illustrate the concept holding up: a 10-yard hitch to the field, a double-clutch throw around a rushing defensive lineman, a quick screen replacing two hitches, and a red-zone/late-season example where the defense left a receiver uncovered — with the coach noting that situation "needs to be a play we score on."

BIGGER-PICTURE TAKEAWAY

The coach notes that season-long data showed roughly 70% improved efficiency on this play, with most gains landing in the 7–12 yard range — reinforcing the value of keeping this quick-game package simple, repeatable, and adaptable across formations/motions rather than complex.

AJ Howard, O-LB Coach, USC

Full video on Glazier Drive:  LB EDDs & Indy Organization

OVERVIEW

This video is a defensive fundamentals breakdown focused on run defense — specifically teaching players gap responsibility, the shimmy technique, block shedding, and tackling. It's structured as a drill progression moving from controlled reps to game-day film.

THE SHIMMY FIT CONCEPT

The core teaching point is gap stacking and the shimmy. The linebacker to the running back side can shoot his gap aggressively, while the backside player "shimmies" — laterally sliding his gap toward the ball. The drill also incorporates motion, shifts, and snap-on-the-run scenarios to ensure players maintain gap discipline against today's dynamic offenses.

SHIMMY DRILL PROGRESSION

The drill begins with cans (stand-up dummies) and progresses to open-field cone work. Coaches use variations including pistol/dot alignments and motion to challenge gap assignments. Key coaching points throughout: near foot up, working downhill, and finishing tackles by driving out of the hips.

BLOCK SHEDDING — THE DOWN AND AWAY DRILL

The second major drill teaches block shedding. Players strike a blocker in the chest with thumbs up, then violently pull them down and away from the body. The drill can be run with a sled, hand shield, pop-up dummy, or a live player. Variations add a moving ball carrier to simulate a running back cutting upfield after the shed, and a punch-the-ball finish to emphasize turnover creation.

GAME FILM APPLICATION

The coach connects every drill to game-day clips, showing players (#18, #31) executing shimmy fits, gap changes triggered by tight end adjustments, block shedding on draw plays, and tackle finishes — directly tying practice reps to live game performance.

Doug Geiser, Head Coach, Ashland

Full video on Glazier Drive:  O-Line Drills & Techniques for Teaching the Counter Run Game

OVERVIEW

This video covers offensive line drills for teaching the counter run game, using a progression-based approach to build technique from perfect fits through full-speed reps.

THE COUNTER PLAY CONCEPT

The counter is a gap scheme staple built on three blocking actions: a down block or double team wall on the playside, a backside guard pulling to kick out the end man on the line of scrimmage, and a second puller (fullback or tight end) wrapping to the first playside linebacker. The play can be run to either a tight end or split end side.

THREE DRILL PROGRESSIONS COVERED

The coaching clinic breaks the counter down into three teaching tracks: a gap double team progression, a kick out/trap pull progression, and a reach/hinge technique on the backside.

GAP DOUBLE TEAM PROGRESSION

Drills are taught in phases — fit and drive, one-step, two-step, then full drive from stance. The key technical points are feeding the covered man into the A gap (contact on the hip, not the shoulder), timing simultaneous contact, and coordinating the guard's two-step "gap it and pop it" with the tackle's three-step approach. The guard is coached to slightly hang the gap step to allow both linemen to arrive in phase.

REACTING TO GAME LOOKS

Once the base progression is complete, linemen are drilled against the three most common defensive reactions: a run through by a linebacker or defensive lineman, a pinch by the three-technique, and a fast pursuit by backers over the top. The covered man is taught to keep his eyes inside while the uncovered man must not release to a backer until he has knocked the down lineman across the guard's face.