Description

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

Full video on Glazier Drive: Spread RPOs: Underneath, Outside, & Inside (Includes QB Technique/Drills)

OVERVIEW

This is a coaching presentation on RPO (Run-Pass Option) systems at the collegiate level (Bethel), delivered by an offensive coordinator sharing what he learned from simplifying his system for a young, inexperienced quarterback. Over two seasons, the team achieved a 71% completion rate across nearly 950 passing attempts by stripping the playbook down to its essentials.

THE CORE PHILOSOPHY

The presenter's central principle is playing fast and simple rather than overloading the quarterback with decisions. Pre-snap and post-snap reads are kept consistent — often using the same routes on both sides — so the QB isn't paralyzed by complexity. The quarterback's job is simply to identify space, take the completion when it's there at a 90%+ confidence level, and hand off when it isn't. The presenter takes personal responsibility for bad outcomes rather than putting that burden on the player.

CREATING DEFENSIVE CONFUSION

Because the system is intentionally simple, the offense creates difficulty for defenses through formations, motions, tempo, and field width. They use all 53⅓ yards of the field to spread and expose defensive cavities, and motion receivers frequently to force defenders to declare their alignments.

UNDERNEATH RPOS — THE HITCH PACKAGE

The foundation of the RPO system is the hitch route. Receivers are coached to run three big vertical steps followed by two quick steps to snap the route off, and immediately get vertical after the catch to turn a five-yard completion into an eight-yard-plus gain. The package scales from single receiver hitches to two-man and stacked/condensed hitch combinations, all called by the same terminology — the receiver adjusts based on formation, not a new play call.

RECEIVER DEVELOPMENT

The team practices one-on-one tackling drills daily so skill players are trained to make defenders miss and gain extra yards after the catch, reinforcing the idea that these passing plays are essentially "extended run plays."

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