● North Carolina is a passing game, air raid offense and follows a similar offensive

philosophy in chasing and attacking space.

○ This philosophy also applies as much as it does to the passing game to the
running game, however, the running game is different between North Carolina
than what Leach runs (pure air raid).
■ North Carolina has a much larger emphasis on the run game (similar to
Oklahoma).
● They believe that running the football is a big deal and thus
emphasize it.
● So a good amount of time goes to developing the mental end of
things with QBs in the run game.
○ Equal emphasis on run and pass game as there is the
same emphasis on them on the field.
● The entire goal of the offense is for the QBs to play instinctively without him thinking.
○ You want them to get to a level in which they know how to run the offense.
■ Rep and rerep all the things that they do in the offense at their position so
they won’t need to think about it.
● North Carolina maxes out what they teach to QBs at a certain
point so that they won’t continually teach new things to the QB or
any other position on the offense.
○ One of the things that didn’t concern NC about missing
spring ball is that the offense was already installed
mentally.
■ Spring ball to them isn’t about teaching new
concepts or ideas, it is about polishing and
reeducating all the things that they previously
taught.
■ Get guys back in tempo.
● The offense is typically installed in the first four days of spring ball.
○ Practices 5-15, everything is rehashed, polished, and improved.
● The things that are drilled to the QBs in practice is everything they will do in a game.
○ Work on dropbacks, throwing off platforms.
○ The stuff done to develop them physically is done during the offseason by
Strength and Conditioning Coach.
○ Technique is taught through videos going into summer on what they want them
to work on (footwork in run, pass, and screen game).
■ It is expected the QBs to work on this by themselves over the summer.
● You can see who works on this and who doesnt based on who is
closer to being the final product athletically regarding to footwork
when they come to camp.
● Tempo the minute they get on the field with their drills, group drills, and team execution,
and they won’t slow down for anyone, so every position, including QB knows what goes
on mentally before they get to camp.
○ Why they can do their install in 4 days.
 ■ Also, they can do this quickly because they have roughly 26-30 puzzle
pieces in the offense that they use.
● OL has 12 schemes at the very max, never use more than 8 in a
game.
● So instead of knowing 20-30 different schemes for the OL, they
only know a few at most, and they can play more aggressively and
physically.
● The QB should not think about a lot of things outside of what is necessary.
○ 15-16 years ago, Longo would hand a card that he made and laminated to the
QB that had 6-7 things on a list.
■ They would have to do those things.
● Put the back on the right side
● Check Protection
● ID Mike
● Signal to the receivers on the left/right.
● ID box and coverage
● Audible or check play if needed.
● Snap football and execute play.
○ This just got too confusing for the QB as he was too mentally handicapped pre-
snap.
■ So they ended this and got into a world where the QB has to do 3 things.
● 1. Get the Signal
● 2. ID Box OR Coverage based on run or pass.
● 3. Snap the football and execute the play.
○ The QB should not think more than that, if he has to, the
play is eliminated so things can be kept simple.
● What a QB needs to know to execute a run play or a pass play.
○ In the Run Game (RPO really)
■ The QB should take what the defense is giving you every single time.
● And if that means there is an open field hitch five times in a row,
you will throw that 5 times in a row.
○ It’s boring but 2nd down and 5 is easy to call plays in every
time.
○ So if you can 4,5,6 free yards in the run game, you do that.
■ If the defense wants to cover everything down and it takes more
defenders against the pass, you will just run the football.
● Run it with confidence.
■ This is about as difficult a QB mentality is in the run game.
○ In the Screen Game
■ It’s a lot about the QBs ego.
■ In the screen game you just have to be an athlete with proper footwork
and throw placement.
● You just have to make the throw on the move and on certain strike
points on the receiver to catch and be able to get up the field.
 ■ There is no thinking going on in this process.
■ So just be the athlete that you were recruited in the first place.
■ Never throw a ball over a defender on the screen to the point that you
have to elevate the ball.
● If you have to elevate the football and loft it in the air, you won’t
throw it.
● You want to snap the ball off and throw line drive balls in the
screen game so guys can get up the field vertically and fast.
● If you can't, the ball goes in the dirt.
○ In the Passing Game
■ His job is Protection and Progression.
● ID anything that you need to change in the protection in case OC
doesn’t make the right call.
○ Your job is to make the protection right.
○ Want the QB always to know where the weakness and
defenders are that he is responsible form.
● After that it is all about the progression
○ Not a lot of reading defenders, but more about going
through the progression.
■ Everything is built on and developed around the QB
getting the football out of his hands as soon as he
can.
■ If you can complete a pass faster than you are
teaching them to execute it, take that pass.
● Anytime you can get the ball out faster than
you planned to in the concept do it.
● You always want to take the 4 or 5 easy
yards before holding or bypassing a simple
throw.
○ The last group of guys you want to
stress is the offensive line, so dont
hold on to the ball too long and
make their lives more difficult.
■ This allows the OL to be able
to play downhill and
aggressive and physical and
confident.
● There is a positional checklist that UNC has for every position on the offense.
○ 1 page with the life of that position on the page.
■ Coaches have to put everything that position needs to know to properly
execute on that page.
● It is then your job to get them prepared physically at a high level to
be able to win football.
 ● But before you ever take the field you have to know the checklist
which includes:
○ Drills
○ Techniques
○ Everything you have to know in the run game, pass game,
screen game, back sets, formations, shifts.
■ Helps to instill confidence in the player as it helps
them to be mentally prepared.
● From a requirement standpoint to play offense in UNC:
○ Two prerequisites that are evaluated on film.
■ Arm talent and specifically the accuracy
● So they have to have a certain amount of arm strength to get
certain placements on certain routes.
○ Why you want to watch guys throw in real life to see their
arm strength
● You can give up a bit on arm strength if they throw the ball
accurately.
○ Some guys have incredible arm strength and they can’t
throw certain balls due to accuracy.
○ They can’t throw automatic throws as well due to a lack of
accuracy:
■ Automatic throws are slants, outs, hitches, swings,
bubbles, now screens to wide receivers.
● If a player can’t throw these passes at
almost a 100% clip they can’t play for the
UNC offense.
○ So arm strength doesn’t matter if
there is no accuracy attached.
○ Likewise, if you dont have the arm strength to place balls
on certain targets at certain time periods, it is also a reason
why a QB can’t play in UNC.
● So you need to have an accurate and talented arm to play.
■ Ability to learn
● If they arent good students in school it doesn’t mean that they
can’t learn football but UNC wants a guy who can prove himself
on the field and in school.
○ School acts like a proof of intellectual and cognitive proof
of a guys ability to learn the game.
● On the flipside, how much do you want to learn?
○ Are you football junkies, X&O junkies, film junkies?
○ What kind of teaching and learning background do you
have?
■ QBs who come from families with coaches have an
advantage.
 ● It’s not a necessity but it helps.
○ Do they have coaches on staff who spend a lot of time and
work with them and challenge them from a X&O
standpoint?
○ Can you get on the board and draw a play, decipher
defensive coverages, thoroughly explain in a way that
everyone understands how to run a certain play?
■ Harder to find than you think, but this is what is
looked for in QB.
● The less you have to work hard to teach a
kid, the more readily available he becomes
and the easier to teach.
■ It is the job of the staff to prepare the QB mentaly monday through friday.

● You want to recruit a physical talent that can already make the
plays in the offense that you want.
○ You dont want to change a throwing motion or improve a
technique (doesn’t mean you won’t).
■ But the less you have to address physical
disadvantages and shortcomings in a QB the better
prospect he is as you can get to the mental part of
the game faster.
● The more time on the mental stuff than the
physical stuff, the more polished a product
is.
■ In regards to a QB being a good athlete:
● You will never take a superb athlete who cant throw the ball
accurately over a guy who can throw the ball decently, think, and
lead.
● Of course you always want a guy who is a superb athlete as well,
then that is what you ideally want.
○ If they can extend plays, make something out of nothing,
but still be smart and accurate, it is the perfect
combination.
■ More fun coaching as well.
■ Very few guys impress coaches when they talk football with them coming
out of high school. It is harder to find than people think.
○ After that there are some other things that UNC would like to see in QBs:
■ Mental Development is specially important (responsibility of both the
players and the coach)
● Know everything without having to think about it so QBs can play
the position instinctively.
 ○ All the things you look for athletically, you can never
appreciate what they can do fully until they know what they
are doing.
● So it is your job to develop the mental side, X&O side, and get
them through the mental curve so you can see 100% of what they
can do from a skill standpoint.
○ QBs are going to be hesitant until they are absolutely sure
of what they can do on every single play.
■ So you look for kids that want to learn continually and are competitive.
● One of the challenges with Sam Howell who was a true
sophomore was that he was at a high level so they had to
continually schedule meetings for him and prepare things that will
continue his development in order to challenge him and keep his
interest.
○ They only had to teach things to him 1 or 2 times before it
would translate on the field.
■ The better job you do recruiting and finding the 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th
grader in your district that can throw accurately and learn, the easier it will
be later on.
■ You dont have to teach your QBs everything, you just have to teach them
things that will help them understand what you are executing on saturday
by friday.
● If you do your job well of prepping the QB, then you just have to
call good plays on saturday to get results.
■ You are also looking at the leadership ability, how close you can get them
to play instinctively before starting a game, physical abilities (the better
runner they are, the more their talents will be used in the run game, the
more you will teach them to scramble, the more you will utilize their
pocket movement in the pass game to benefit the OL).
● You have to recruit guys who are inherently competitive.
■ These all together are the key things that you have to develop in a QB
(however they still must have the two prerequisites to be on the roster).
● From a developmental standpoint:
○ UNC does not have an offensive playbook
■ Because the guys have to draw it up themselves.
■ It will make more sense to them and they learn better from it.
■ The other thing is that UNC provides so much flexibility for the players in
terms of running routes, dropbacks, technique on the OL, run game
footwork for the RBs, that to define one way of doing things won’t fit every
athlete that you have.
● So you dont want to draw a post route on the playbook that will
look five different ways once the guys learn how to effectively run
it.
 ○ Instead this is first taught on film, then walkthrough and
runthroughs.
■ They can translate what they see visually on the
field.
■ So what they right and draw on meetings on film,
becomes each players individual playbooks.
■ This is specially important for QBs as they have to
draw down what they see and make their own
playbook.
○ Once the Qbs understand the different pieces of the puzzle, you can put them
together in different ways and they become interchangeable.
■ Then there is no new teaching for teh QB and the skill players, but it is
just done in different orders and in conjunction with different plays to help
set up a game plan each week that they see fit.
● There wont be any new learning for anyone, especially at QB.
● The sooner the players play instinctively by keeping the offense simple, the more
explosive the team becomes and the faster the offense is ran, even if you dont run
tempo, the faster you play post whistle and post snap.
○ You play more instinctively so at the snap you can run a post route with 4
different break angles, instead of worrying about being at an area of the field at a
certain time.

Fundamental Tech and Drills done with QBs every day:

● Guys get bored at practice, you aren’t running the clinic drills that look so fun and require
14 different apparatuses to execute. You grab a football and occasionally use a cone to
practice the things that are needed to execute plays.
● They go through the playlist and say the play is power. On this play the QB has to know
what footwork, the type of mesh, and how to pull the ball on a particular run play.
○ And that is all he is taught.
○ Then they go to the other run plays that they use.
○ They then proceed to all the screens that they run and how many different ways
do they utilize footwork to throw the screens.
■ And those three different footworks are taught to the QB.
● You will learn the pass drops that are used and that is all that is taught.
● Then you go through all the problems that can arise.
○ On a pass drop you can get pressure right up the shoot, how do you handle that.
■ You go through a 3-step drop and have pressure through the A-gap.
● You have to rep what to do at that position.
■ What do you do when pressure comes off the edge?
■ What do you do when you have to sprint out and throw on the run?
○ You utilize all the realistic situations that arise in a game to add to the drills library
off the dropback.
■ They wont do footwork drills that they wont use in a game, they will do
what happens in the game.
 ● This stuff all has its place and improves a lot of things like hand
eye coordination, but this is not done in preparation for a game.
○ This is only done in offseason or in strength and
conditioning, in their own time before camp. During camp
the team only works on what they have to do in game
every time.
● UNC has a library of 3 drops that are used in the entire passing game. And that is 55 to
60% of what they do out of every play. 45-50% of the time run footwork is used.
○ As they get really good at it, they do it in team and group reps. They then use the
individual times to handle the problems that can arise.
● First drop that they teach is a top gun drop.
○ Catch the ball in the gun. At the top of the drop already, and all you do is pick up
your trigger foot (dominant foot), put it back down and throw the quick game.
■ The trigger foot is turned at a slightly deeper angle than perpendicular to
the sideline if they are throwing to the frontside to get their hips around,
and you want to throw the ball to the frontside in two steps.
● So open the trigger foot toe up after collecting the ball, get the
other foot down, and release the ball.
○ Later on they will ghost throw the football in drills to
practice their motion and get fluid.
● Depending on the route that they throw there is a tempo attached
to it depending on the quick route.
○ So footwork for a hitch, slant, and out is the same, but the
tempo for the route is different.
■ If you are throwing hitches, you have to get it there
very fast, so your footwork is very fast.
■ If you are throwing a slant, you can step through
the drop casually and then trigger the ball on the
ball of the receiver.
■ If you are throwing an out route, it takes a bit longer
than the slant, so you have to be very casual with
the footwork tempo, and then you frame a picture
before you trigger on the out because it will take a
bit of an extra time to break and show itself as a
target.
■ Screenshot:
 ●
○ Spin football up and catch it yourself.

●
○ Trigger foot back.

●
○ Place left foot down and get ready to throw.

■ Top Gun Drop when throwing on the backside.

● You still step with trigger foot, you still want the ball gone in two
steps, you will still rhythm with the route that you are throwing. So
the mental standpoint is the same.
● For the right foot (trigger foot) on the first step you have three
options:
○ Right next to the left foot
○ Just behind the left foot
○ Shortstep with the right foot.
■ It doesn’t matter which one of the three that they
do. But they have to do it quickly and comfortably.
● The left foot will then hit the ground immediately afterwards and
they are in the position to throw it immediately.
● Screenshots:

○
■ Throw ball to yourself.

○
■ Right foot step.
 ○
■ Left foot step towards target to open up your hips
and shoulders, and then throw.
○ Coaching points:
■ You throw just as fast to the backside as the
frontside.
■ Parallel shoulders maintained to the LOS on the
drop as it improves the backside completion
percentage by almost 10% and the completion
percentage to the frontside stays the same.
● So when the shoulders are parallel, you
wont tip of where you are going as quickly,
and you will get to your backside faster, and
you can see the field a lot easier from a
pressure, coverage, and route standpoint.
● In Game Examples:
○ Throwing to frontside
■
■

● Left foot down after trigger step, hesitate

since throwing slant due to tempo.
■

● Shoulder opened up a bit more as he knows

he will throw frontside pre-snap. He is
scanning the frontside inside out, likes the
first target and triggers immediately.
■ If you have a 3 step drop but you see the short
middle of the field vacated like the look above
 and you know you can trigger it faster, teh QB
can go to the top gun drop and trigger it
quicker.
● So instead of having to end the 3 step drop
that takes longer in the middle of the drop,
they can just adjust to the top gun drop and
get the ball out right away.
● They dont care that the form isn’t absolutely
perfect when the ball is thrown on time and
accurately.
○ Unless the ball comes out really
really low, isnt accurate, or isnt out
in time the throwing motion doesnt
matter.
■ Longo wont recruit a QB who
he has to change the throw
motion for.
■ This dropback is typically utilized for wrist throws
instead of throws where you have to generate
power through hips, so the hips on almost every
throw from this dropback stay the same.
● No need to get the hips involved as much
as that elongates the throw motion which
takes away some of the open space and
makes the throw harder rather than easier.
■ Coaching Point: You may sometimes have to
adjust a throw motion slightly, but dont change
a throw motion if it doesnt affect play, instead
try to break the QB out of the habit.
● Sam Howell has a habit to pat the ball
before he throws it which can slow down the
release and key defenders. However, for
him, it doesnt and he still gets the ball out in
time without a defender getting his hands on
the ball. So while Longo tries to get him out
of the habit of doing this, he wont go to the
point that he is uncomfortable throwing the
ball.
■ Coaching point: The more lateral you are
throwing to the frontside, the deeper that first
step has to be.
● For example on a throw completely lateral,
the toe of Howell points towards the pylon in
 the endzone behind him, so he can get his
hips all the way around.
○

■ Casual, comfortable and

throws an accurate ball with
his hips fully around, has
velocity on the ball and the
RB can catch and get up the
field.
● Most QBs are not familiar with the backpedal while dropping, and are not used to being
in a backpedal mode, setting themselves, and then throwing the football.
○ In this drill the QBs will catch the ball thrown by a coach, go to a casual
backpedal, and transition into their throwing demeanor.
○ In the backpedal, you wont fly out of there and lead the backpedal with your head
like older pros used to do. So the head isn’t way out ahead of their shoulders, but
and heels.
■ In this backdrop, the noes are over the toes, shoulders over the hips, and
you are really in a fast, walking backpedal.
● Very comfortable movement, and you don’t want to move quick
enough to ever tense up your upper body.
○ Graham Harrell and Coach Leach, they were relaxed from
their teaching in the classroom and even in the way they
 play. When they drill things, everything is in a relaxed
manner.
■ In your drops you want to look relaxed, almost as if
you are throwing in the backyard.

■
● They do this drill while walking the field in indies.
● As they get comfortable doing this drill, the coach acting as the
target will weave to the right and the left so they get used to
planting their foot on different angles and get used to throwing to
both directions.
● Most QBs are going to be very uncomfortable with this within the
first day or two but after a week or so they will only want to do this
type of dropback.
● The second major drop that is taught to the QBs is a 3 casual drop.
○ The plant foot is already down.
○ The stagger on the foot initially doesn’t matter, they can have their right foot in
back, front, or parallel.
■ Just be comfortable and in the same spot in the passing game as the
running game.
● Once the QBs know what they are comfortable with in the pass
drop, the run game footwork is taught based on that.
○ The apex of the body has to be upright and vertical from the ground (so no
leaning back and not all the weight on the backfoot).
■ Drop with parallel shoulders with same ability to throw frontside and
backside.
■ Better at looking off and looking to both sides.
■ Doesn’t take as long to turn hips open to backside.
● Have to make sure they dont open up too far to the backside
however.

■
● Backpedal drop with the dominant foot

■
● Backpedal step with the second foot
● On the first and second step you have to gain ground (and not too
much ground on the first step) but do not lean back and go on
your heels.

○
■ That QB is too much on his heels and he will lean a
bit at the end.
● Be comfortable and light on your feet.
● Coaching point: Do not hold the ball below your chest as you
have to be able to be in the trigger position with ball around
the shoulder area.
○ No low elbows or ball so you dont waste time raising
the football to trigger it.
○ So football position is from chest to shoulder and you
want the shoulders over the hips and be fairly
balanced until you transition weight from backfoot to
front foot to throw the football.
■
● Put down your dominant foot on third step and come to balance,
adjust your front foot (non-dominant foot) to open your hips and
maintain base and throw.
○ What I noticed in tape is that after third step Howell
adjusted his non-dominant foot a tiny bit (as mentioned
above). Longo said this is the perfect drop, so I am
assuming that is correct and necessary.
■

●
○ Allowed to take a baby hitch up at the end of some throws
(like a fade down the sidelines).
 ●
○ Since Howell’s non dominant foot is back, he takes a cheat
step with it before going into his 3 step drop.
○

■ CP: When you throw to a receiver with more

separation you want more velocity and less
height.

○
■ On a throw like this to the receiver in the middle
landmark the outside number to keep ball away
from defender.
● The third and last drop taught in UNC is a 3 quick drop.
○ All a 3 quick means is that you will take the first initial step of the casual 3 drop,
but realize the throw is longer or further away, or you have to quick trigger
something, you will then speed up your feet.
■ So it goes from 1…2…3…throw rhythm to 1…23throw.
● So you accelerate steps 2 and 3
 ○
■ First step taken casually
○

■ 2nd and 3rd step done very quickly

○
■ Set base and throw.
● What this does is that you wont get as much depth but the ball
comes out quicker and more on time on the longer throws (speed
out to the field as an example).
○ Coaching Point: Do not coach 3 quick until QB is
comfortable with 3 casual.
● The drills for drops are done without much equipment. Just someone tossing the QB the
football, them going through their drops and then throwing to a target (nets are not
used).

○
■ Dont want QBs to throw more passes in a week that their arms and
shoulders can handle (so they are healthy), and they want the same
velocity at the end of the year as the beginning.
● They chart the number, velocity, and distance of throws so the
QBs are kept healthy.
○ So they dont want to waste throws on a net because
receivers cant catch enough footballs, and the more they
catch footballs with proper technique they will get closer to
catching the ball instinctively.
■ Instead they use their receivers in drills to catch the
balls.
● On an in-cut throw the ball has to be within the box:
○ The box is the shoulder joints to the hip points of the receiver.
● When moving around in the pocket and going through progressions and reloading the
base, UNC QBs look more jittery as they dont want their guys to do the NFL hop with
two step movement.
○ They want their QBs to instead consistently pity-patting their feet left and right, up
and down, to continually retrigger the throwing foot.
■ The feet is lifted up enough to say that they are off the grass, put right
back down again, and the feet are bouncing back and forth like that to
always be ready to throw.
 ●

●
● Off of PA, the same three drops apply.
○ They have 3 different fakes in the PA game:
■ Poke it
● A poke is when the ball is put in the belly of the RB and then pull it
out, drop, and throw.
■ Glide fake
● Put the ball down towards the running back at the hip, ride the
fake to the other hip, pull, and make the throw.
 ■ Ride fake
● Present the ball outside the frame of the QB, ride the RB outside
of the framework of the QB on the other side, and pull and throw a
much deeper ball.
■ After the fakes, you will pop your feet (top gun), go three quick, or three
casual.
■ The fake is basically just defined by the length of the fake. A poke fake
being the quickest and a ride fake being the fastest. After that the same 3
drops are used.
● In the game, you have to throw off platform more than have the time, so you have to drill
offplatform throws and moving the QB more than anything.
○ So a drill could be a QB scrambling, resetting to their trigger position moving
around in this position, and then throwing.
■ You dont want to be tense while doing this and moving around.
■ Want to maintain the same comfortable position you were in.
○ Once you are comfortable with moving with the trigger position, you can be
instructed to move in different directions, and then throwing to different targets on
the field, and even throwing off platform.
○ After doing this with verbal direction, action cues (like a coaching rushing) is
given to teh QB to move based on the movements of the coach.

■
● While doing this keep your eyes down the field as the QB (and the
coach should look at the eyes of the QB).
○ If you have a QB looking at the pressure you have a
problem. You want the QBs eyes down the field the entire
time while feeling the pressure around them and react to
what they feel with their feet.
■ It comes naturally to some, and you may have to
train it to others.
○ When doing this sometimes the QB knows the target
beforehand, sometimes they have to find it by seeing who
raises their hand.
 ■
● Another drill is the QB moving at ¾ speed, then seeing which
target shows and throwing to them off platform.
● Do the same thing going to the other direction in their trigger
position.

■
● Another drill, QB does a top gun drop, doesnt like what he sees,
looks down the middle to second target, then starts moving and
then throws the football.
○ Once you get to a third look in the drills it is almost
automatic that you have to move in order to find the third
look on the move and off platform.
■ Very rarely in games do you ever get to throw a
third look without moving your feet in a college
football game.
■ And then you do this in skelly as well.
● In skelly, the managers rush (walk) as defensive lineman (usually
three of them) and they may even run stunts and games to get the
QB moving away from pressure where there is space.
○ So they may all slant to one side and then the QB should
slide to the other side.
■ Makes skelly a bit more useful in teaching.
○ The last drill is a GA holding a shield and runs right at the QB while he is
throwing in order to further enforce and insist that the QB keep his eyes
downfield while he has pressure coming at him.
■
● Coach just jogs at him. QB has his eyes downfield at a target,
stands, and throws while knowing pressure is coming at him,
knowing he will get hit and then will give him a small shot late to
the hips, belly, ribs, or shoulders so he gets a shot while he is
throwing to replicate in game.
○ Helps trains guys about pressure, but you also dont want
to overtrain them to the point that they stand in the pocket
for too long.