4 Passing Concepts Texas Leaned On in 2025

In a recent article we covered the RPOs Texas used in their 2025 campaign. Now we move to their downfield passing concepts. Much like their RPOs, these aren’t groundbreaking, but Sark does a nice job dressing them up with different formations and motions to find the space in between the defensive secondary.

Y Cross & Y Cross Variations

For this article I considered anything with an over route and a dig behind it, at minimum, a Y Cross variation. Texas runs this concept a lot, pairing it with various route combinations on the other side of the field.

Y Cross into the boundary with an escort swing screen to the field. This has that four strong look, but it really is attacking the boundary first and foremost.

Trey set into the boundary and throwing Y Cross action to the field with a sail concept from the single. Arch likely could’ve hit the cross here as well.

I’m going to call this a Y Cross variation even though it’s likely something else in someone else’s playbook. But it has the same core concept, an over with a dig behind it, but this time from the #3 and #1 receivers. Same elements, different presentation.

Here it is again with that “cheetah” motion. The motion gets the eyes and attention, and the cross comes wide open for a huge gain against Kentucky.

Deep Stops

Look, I’m just a dumb defensive coach, so I have no idea what to call this other than calling it what it is, a deep stop route. Someone out there reading knows the concept. Please comment below so I can change this heading and look a lot smarter. And no, I don’t think it’s vertical choice because they always sit it down.

Sail

Look, sail is just one of the best concepts out there. I think it works, when done correctly, against Cover 4, Cover 3, and Cover 2.

Here the Longhorns run Sail but give double post action before the slot snaps it off to run the Sail route.

Sail over the slant route versus Cover 1.

Sail from the inside of trips with the double post look.

Sail from bunch, just ignore the sack because it’s open again.

Spin

Spin, as we called it, is a simple high/low concept in the middle of the field. The interior receiver runs a hitch then works out, and the outside receiver runs a dig over top. It creates pressure on that overhang or curl/flat player and usually opens up a nice throwing lane for the quarterback versus coverage.

Vanderbilt here is running a drop eight “double cloud” variation of Cover 3, but it makes no difference. The curl/flat defender jumps the underneath route and Arch gets a clear window to throw the dig. This is exactly what this play is designed to do.

Same play, same read, same result, but this time it’s versus the Razorbacks.

Sark Wrinkles & Tricks

This section really doesn’t apply to the rest of the article, but I thought we’d throw these in for good measure.

Remember Sark screens? Well below is the evolution off that, which is a fast to the flat concept off that same strange backfield action by the quarterbacks. It may not be a gamebreaker, but I love the way this stretches a defense and forces discipline at all times.

The jet motion, the sprint out flow, then bang, fast to the flat the other direction. This would be a great third and short or goal line play in my opinion.

Everyone loves the Philly Special, right?

Final Thoughts

The Longhorn offense did a fantastic job being complex, yet simple when it counted. Between their RPOs, screens, and downfield passing game they simplified reads, and I believe it helped them better attack defenses where they were soft as opposed to running trick plays or complex solutions that may not work.

None of this is reinventing the wheel. Y Cross, sail, spin, these are concepts most of us have in our playbooks already. What Sark does well is dress them up. The formations, the motions, the backfield action, all of it works to move eyes and create those windows in between the secondary without asking the quarterback to do anything heroic. The concept stays the same. The packaging changes.

That is the part worth stealing, Coach. You don’t need a brand new install to find soft spots in a coverage. You need a handful of concepts you trust and enough wrinkles to keep a defense from teeing off on them. Texas built their passing game on exactly that, and the tape shows it paid off.