2024 Spring Practice Notes - Receivers and Tight Ends

I know some people don't like the perimeter passing game because of how it was utilized under the previous crew, but if you can combine it with deep threats, crossers, and the running game it becomes extremely difficult for the opposing safeties and corners.

We have TE/HB players that can hit the flats, the corners, and attack the seams. Fidone's TD is a zig off a stacked release where he runs a beautiful route on a mismatch. A lot of big, athletic bodies to create mismatches with and I thought for a 'vanilla' spring game we saw a ton. Under center, shotgun, pistol, all sorts of screens, switch releases, stacked releases, compressed sets, spread sets, empty, etc.

This offense needs refinement and better execution and all of those sorts of things that come with spring ball, but conceptually you can see where this thing is going and I think it's really exciting. I thought last spring was promising, too, but circumstances meant we didn't get to see that version of the offense. This spring, imo, is a monumental step up from any point last year and while getting more capable QB play is a definite plus, credit to the staff if they can take the types of things we saw today and re-produce that regularly in the fall.

 
Coleman, Banks, Neyor, and Fidone on the field all at the same time. Yes, please. Shortest guy is 6'3".

Coach needs to tell Satterfield to just chug a beer and calm down a bit with the obsession of having two tight end's on the field at the same time so much. Run more 11 man and throw the rock around the yard.

Just a little tongue in cheek on that second paragraph. Not a lot of posting this time of year.    :)

 
Undone said:
Coleman, Banks, Neyor, and Fidone on the field all at the same time. Yes, please. Shortest guy is 6'3".

Coach needs to tell Satterfield to just chug a beer and calm down a bit with the obsession of having two tight end's on the field at the same time so much. Run more 11 man and throw the rock around the yard.

Just a little tongue in cheek on that second paragraph. Not a lot of posting this time of year.    :)
Click to expand...
Trips wide and a Fidone to the boundary. Force nickle or dime out of the defense and then hit them with quick pass wide. Depending who is on Fidone and where coverage shades, you might be taking 1 on 1's all day with mismatches. Any time the box gets light, hit em in the gut. Best part, you still have 11 personal to do any of the other traditional packages you would have otherwise. Move fast and don't allow subs to really hit them where it hurts when you catch them in the wrong grouping.

:power

 
deedsker said:
Trips wide and a Fidone to the boundary. Force nickle or dime out of the defense and then hit them with quick pass wide. Depending who is on Fidone and where coverage shades, you might be taking 1 on 1's all day with mismatches. Any time the box gets light, hit em in the gut. Best part, you still have 11 personal to do any of the other traditional packages you would have otherwise. Move fast and don't allow subs to really hit them where it hurts when you catch them in the wrong grouping.
Click to expand...


You know what though...let's not try to be so explosive. Let's see if Satterfield can reinvent the "Notre Dame Box" formation of the 1920's...

                TE   LT   LG   C   RG   RT   TE

                                     QB         HB

                  

                                     TB          FB

:waste      :waste      :waste

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Undone said:
You know what though...let's not try to be so explosive. Let's see if Satterfield can reinvent the "Notre Dame Box" formation of the 1920's...

                TE   LT   LG   C   RG   RT   TE

                                     QB         HB

                  

                                     TB          FB

:waste      :waste      :waste
Click to expand...
Let’s not and say we did…

The triangle backs had a good run there with Martinez and some other schools in the early 2010s.

 
deedsker said:
Trips wide and a Fidone to the boundary. Force nickle or dime out of the defense and then hit them with quick pass wide. Depending who is on Fidone and where coverage shades, you might be taking 1 on 1's all day with mismatches. Any time the box gets light, hit em in the gut. Best part, you still have 11 personal to do any of the other traditional packages you would have otherwise. Move fast and don't allow subs to really hit them where it hurts when you catch them in the wrong grouping.
Click to expand...


We saw this in the spring on my favorite play. Raiola's first TD was from this alignment, with Bonner being the 3rd receiver in what I like to call the 'big slot'. On that particular play, the defense decided to roll up a Safety against him, which makes sense considering the RB was on the boundary side, representing run to the field side. That Safety against the run gives you a needed defender in that scenario. However, against pass that's Cover 1 with the lone Safety held in the middle of the field due to the double in concept. Run the corner route well with appropriate spacing so an underneath man can't drop back and the defense is basically hoping for a bad throw.

In terms of using a single personnel package in order to play fast, that's not really Rhule's style. He'll selectively do it, but he's more of a huddle and control the pace kind of guy. What I think we will see more of is using our versatile personnel to exploit matchups, regardless of their personnel. We have big receivers that can block but we also have tight ends that can line up outside. Fidone's TD catch is from a stacked release, but he's the #2 man rather than being the guy in the front of the stack. That kind of thing messes with a defense, because as we saw, that meant the outside CB took him. It's harder to see from the broadcast view, but the #1 receiver on that side got the other half of the mismatch and was wide open downfield after his defender fell.

The kinds of things you're describing is what I want to see us take from the spring to the fall. I loved the spring game offense and I want to see that as a blueprint that can be expanded upon.

 
brophog said:
What I think we will see more of is using our versatile personnel to exploit matchups, regardless of their personnel. We have big receivers that can block but we also have tight ends that can line up outside.
Click to expand...


Agreed. It's actually pretty amazing to see the offensive roster being put together the way it is just heading into year 2. Not getting my hopes up, but on paper there's a good amount of talent.

brophog said:
We saw this in the spring on my favorite play. Raiola's first TD was from this alignment, with Bonner being the 3rd receiver in what I like to call the 'big slot'. On that particular play, the defense decided to roll up a Safety against him, which makes sense considering the RB was on the boundary side, representing run to the field side. That Safety against the run gives you a needed defender in that scenario. However, against pass that's Cover 1 with the lone Safety held in the middle of the field due to the double in concept. Run the corner route well with appropriate spacing so an underneath man can't drop back and the defense is basically hoping for a bad throw.
Click to expand...


With the exception of having a guy built like and listed as a fullback, this is actually a fairly "Scott Frost kind of play." Pulling one safety out of position to throw across the field is a beautiful thing.

That said, I don't really like having fullbacks on the roster. I feel nothing as it pertains to any Nebraska nostalgia factor, and I don't think our team needs them. The key is having at least one that can actually be a good receiver.

Rhule has kind of let on that he maybe wants to be the 49ers on offense. That's great, but man, they have a very specific set of personnel talent to be able to do what they do.

I'd rather be in 11 man where Bonner is swapped for even a guy like Lloyd as a receiver. Versatility is dependent on the talent of the personnel as much as it is drawing up great X's & O's, in my opinion.

 
Undone said:
That said, I don't really like having fullbacks on the roster. I feel nothing as it pertains to any Nebraska nostalgia factor, and I don't think our team needs them. The key is having at least one that can actually be a good receiver.
Click to expand...


There is a time and a place for a fullback. As shotgun 10/11 offenses have become the norm across all levels of football, defenses have gotten smaller and faster. Not just in the back end, but across the interior defensive line, too, as getting to the passer quickly has become more important. That leaves an opportunity for the offense to exploit, and we will look to do that.

What you see from Nebraska, and many other teams, is a player who not only plays fullback but also hback, tight end, maybe even out wide. A multiple position player who can be block as well as receive. The days of a dedicated fullback are mostly gone, but I think many teams at all levels could benefit from using someone at the position more often.

Undone said:
Rhule has kind of let on that he maybe wants to be the 49ers on offense. That's great, but man, they have a very specific set of personnel talent to be able to do what they do.
Click to expand...


I think there are a lot of tweeners at the college level that can fill roles like Juszczyk and Samuel if teams wanted to do that. To me, the biggest personnel related challenge to running that style of offense is getting the athletic offensive line that can pull off some of those very difficult to execute reach blocks. I know it's pretty popular to gripe about their offensive line, but some of those plays that get credited to their skill guys simply cannot be run if you don't have big boys that can move.

We are developing towards this idea. Bringing in lots of TE body types, some of which may stay at TE, others a FB/HB or even an OL. We want big bodies that can move, though, and that's key to so much of what we're talking about in this thread.

From a scheme perspective, we don't have to copy the 49ers to still stay in that spirit. One thing they do much better than most is have complimentary plays. They have a lot of plays that work off of one another. I think it's very valuable to our staff to watch their offense and take as many ideas as we can and find ways to create our own style. We didn't see it as much in the run game as that was heavily de-emphasized but we saw it more in the pass game this spring and that's very encouraging.

 
Be interesting to see if Rhule puts Nelson in as  a H back/fullback in a fourth and 1or on the 1 yard line, I can see him leaping over the top. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pedro G said:
Be interesting to see if Rhule puts Nelson in as  a H back/fullback.In a fourth and 1or on the 1 yard line, I can see him leaping over the top. 
Click to expand...
I'd be surprised if Nelson doesn't redshirt this year and only play the four games. Will likely be quite an adjustment for him like most freshmen.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top