2024's Most Explosive RPO

How a simple 3-man concept puts defenses in conflict and produces big plays.

I’m not usually one to chase flashy plays. Trends come and go, and defenses always find answers.

That’s how I’ve felt about most RPOs. They have their place, and they can be effective, but in general, defenses have caught up.

But last season, one RPO kept popping up. As I studied film across levels of football, it was frequently creating explosive plays.

Today, we’re breaking that RPO, and why it’s been so effective.

The Run

Before we break down the passing options, we have to start with the run game. Both the Miami Dolphins and the Texas Longhorns leaned on this RPO, and in every case, it was married to their zone read schemes.

Mid zone, wide zone, and inside zone all pair beautifully with it. While zone was the most common foundation I saw, it isn’t chained to it.

Like with anything, it’s only limited by your imagination. Pair to the backside of your favorite run and it’s good to go.

The Routes

The base combination in this RPO:

• #1 – Glance Post

• #2 – Wheel

• #3 – Flat