In 2022, USC didn’t have a tight end with the skill level of Mark Andrews, the elite Oklahoma tight end who has become a star in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. Yet, we did see the Trojans use tight ends to get red-zone results and put Notre Dame’s defense off balance. Most of the offense goes through the field-stretching receivers USC has. The Riley offense thrived based on the football IQ of Caleb Williams and the speed of the skill position players. However, the tight end was part of the offense, and we saw Riley use players and positions as bait to draw defenses out of position.
This combination of versatility and adaptability — in an accumulated playbook with more stacks and variations — was mentioned one year ago by Riley Files analyst Kegan Reneau:
“Lincoln’s offense is built around Y cross,” Reneau said, “but I think USC will be a little bit different. You’re gonna see a tight end. You’re gonna see guys running mesh concepts, which is two receivers running crossing routes over the middle of the field. You’re gonna see some very rooted Air Raid concepts. The difference is that he has evolved over time. Now he’s got a ton of (new) stuff he runs that does have Y cross implemented. It has just become so successful over the years.
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