2023 LSU Slot Fade

Breaking down the Heisman Trophy winner's favorite concept.

Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense lit up the stat sheet this past season, with Jayden Daniels earning the Heisman to go with it. Watching their film, it quickly became obvious what LSU’s favorite passing concept was.

As mentioned before, great offenses have a foundation and a home base. It is a play that they are going to run vs any look, and it sets up the rest of the offense. For LSU in 2023 that was Slot Fade.

3x1 Slot Fade

3x1 Slot Fade was their most used variation by far. This is an example of a concept that can be used to attack all coverages.

Routes:

X - 5-yard hitch route. If pressed or a tight corner, he can run a 5 yard in route.

H - Fade

Y - 5-yard stick route

Z - Most often this was a dig route. The receiver drives 10-12 yards and speed cuts in. If the corner is pressed, they check to a fade route.

Back - The back checks for any blitzers, then releases to the Z receivers’ side, creating a high/low stretch on the Will backer.

Facing Man or Cover 2, the fade route is a great option. The corner is the quarterback’s first read, and these coverages should give the quarterback a low corner.

If the corner bails, the quarterback will then work the two underneath routes. Because the corner is his first read, it is more natural to read outside in on the flat defender. He will get his eyes to the hitch/fin by the #1 receiver, if the flat defender has widened he will hit the stick route by Y.

If the defense rolls their coverage, leaving the Slot Fade side outnumbered, the quarterback will work the backside of the combination. The back release and the dig by the single receiver creates a high/low stretch on the remaining backside backer.

Rarely do teams hit all 5 routes in a combination, but LSU maximizes this concept. I found film examples of them throwing every single route.

The stretch of Slot Fade is identical to 3-man Stick. (ICYMI: Here is a deep dive on Stick)

2023 Packers Stick Concept

To the Quarterback, both concepts have a fade route with two underneath routes stretching the flat defender. The biggest difference is that the slot on the fade is further from the sideline giving the quarterback a wider window to throw into. I’ve rarely seen the fade route on 3-man stick thrown, especially to the field. Also, the outside short route by X is in-breaking, as opposed to the out-breaking route by F. If your Quarterback struggles to throw the out, the 5-yard in may be a better option.