VT Tuesday, April 7th Practice Highlights: Tight End Fundamentals

Credit to the Hokies SID team. These videos are very insightful to fans who want to learn the basics of the game, without revealing any strategy that could aid opponents.

Today's video focuses on the tight ends and the whip linebackers. I want to talk about the tight end teaching a bit.

The tight ends are working on a handful of critical techniques. First, we have the reach block on a zone stretch. The tight end moves laterally and then essentially does a rip technique through the defender's outside shoulder with his inside shoulder and pushes up through the defender. While they are using a rip, unlike a pass rusher the rip is not to get past the defender. The tight end wants to rip to get outside position and get the defender's momentum going up and back. Then the tight end needs to square up and maintain contact and leg drive. Getting too far outside can cause the blocker to lose control.

Second, the tight ends are working on stick routes. During Loeffler's first spring, I emphasized how important the dig route was to Loeffler's offense. It is a short route that gives the tight end an option. He runs straight at the defender. If the defender stays inside, the tight end breaks hard outside. If the defender stays outside with leverage, the tight end breaks hard inside. The quarterback and the tight end make the same read and the ball gets there quickly. In this video, You can see Coach Stinespring serving as the de-facto defender and calling late which way the tight ends must break. As spring progresses, you will see this route on display often.

Third, we have a combination of run blocking technique and route running called a veer release. The tight end shows that he is trying to reach block the edge defender. The defender widens, and then the tight end breaks sharply inside and vertical to receive a quick pass. At EHC we called this a Y Dump and ran it off a speed option and dive option look. Dakota Jackson makes a really nice catch in that drill. You don't have to be a really fast receiver to get open on the dump. You have to sell the defender on the block, and your quarterback has to make a good play action fake for it to be effective.

The whips are working on leverage rush moves designed to get off blocks. Ronny Vandyke, Holland Fisher (#29), Mike Wandey (#42), Quinton Taylor (#35), and Jonathan Gallante (#38) are working. Coach Brown gets a little irritated at Holland Fisher for getting in the wrong stance at the start of a drill.