When Steve Sarkisian took over as head coach of the Texas Longhorns in 2020, he shared his offensive strategies at a coaches clinic, highlighting his run-pass option (RPO) approach and how his tactics have evolved over time. He explained his offense using two pass plays, two play-action concepts, and two drop-back plays.
As Sarkisian wrapped up his time as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in the national championship game, it’s a great time to dive into some of his key concepts to better understand what drives his offensive strategy.
“We’re an RPO team that runs the football,” Sarkisian explained. “If you let us run, we’ll keep running. But once you stop the run, our system is designed to throw RPOs.”
Three main running plays in Sarkisian’s offense are the inside zone, outside zone, and power runs. But what sets his system apart is how he combines pass options with these runs, forming the base of his offensive playbook.
“When you think of Alabama, this is our identity,” he said, emphasizing the importance of RPOs.
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Inside Zone/Speed Out RPO
In this simple play, if the defense’s strong safety is positioned low, the quarterback throws a six-yard pass to the Z receiver. If the safety plays high, the QB hands the ball off. This straightforward approach is sometimes dressed up with shifts or motions to keep defenses guessing.
“If they play single safety, they’ll stack the box,” Sarkisian noted. “That’s when we throw, targeting the corner who’s playing high and inside, and aim for a quick completion.”
Glance RPO
This is one of the most popular RPO plays in football. Sarkisian emphasizes the running game by having his receivers block on the backside instead of running routes. The QB makes a two-read decision: if the strong safety plays low, he throws to the Z receiver. If the safety is high, the QB hands it off.
The Z receiver’s job is to find daylight on his fourth outside step. Against man coverage, the receiver needs to beat his defender. Against zone coverage, the receiver has to find the gap between defenders.
In certain situations, Sarkisian might use a tight end on the glance route, giving him flexibility to exploit favorable matchups. Recently, this has become a pre-snap option for the QB, adding more layers to the offense.
RPO Illusion Pass Play — Pressure Ice
This play disguises a pass as an RPO, which Sarkisian says was crucial to Alabama’s offensive success, averaging eight yards per play.
The goal is to make the defense think it’s a run or a standard RPO, then hit them with a deep pass. Sarkisian wants the entire team — from the offensive line to the quarterback — to make it look, feel, and sound like an RPO.
For example, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy scored an 85-yard touchdown on this play after the defense bit on the RPO fake.
Deep Crossers — Wave
If the defense keeps a safety deep to avoid getting beat on play-action passes, Sarkisian’s answer is deep crossing routes in front of the safety while sending the single receiver on a post route.
Sarkisian’s quarterbacks don’t read coverages; instead, they follow a progression of receivers, starting with the X route, then moving to the Z route, and finally checking down to the running back in the flat. This concept is designed to create big plays against man-to-man coverage, using speed to create separation.
Drop-Back Game — Railroad
This play focuses on the running back, who Sarkisian believes is often the least defended player on the field. If the defense doesn’t cover him, the quarterback quickly throws to the running back, allowing him to rack up yards.
If the running back isn’t open, the QB looks to the crossing routes for big gains. Sarkisian’s philosophy is simple: “If you’re gonna play man-to-man, we’ll outrun you on crossing routes all day.”
This concept works particularly well for athletes who excel after the catch, making it perfect for players like Bijan Robinson.
Boundary High-Low — D-Bow Drive
This play is Sarkisian’s answer to defenses playing Cover Two. It sends two receivers to the boundary, with the X receiver running a 12-14 yard out and the Y receiver coming underneath. If the defense is playing man coverage, switching the receivers creates a natural pick to open up the shallow cross route.
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