Receivers in the Air Raid
How Do the Badgers Fit?
Any good football coach will look at his roster and develop a system built around its strengths and Badger fans shouldn't have to worry about Phil Longo not doing that. And like any complete offensive system there is room in the Air Raid for many different types of players to find a role and succeed.
Coming from years of seeing 2-3 receiver sets Badger fans might not know or understand the different roles that make up a complete receiving corp and how they work together. Today we’ll break down the four receiver positions in a typical Air Raid offense and which current Badgers are the best fit for each spot. Of course this breakdown could completely change after we see them in action during the spring.
Z - Strongside WR
The Z is similar to a flanker in a pro style offense. You're looking for a receiver that can stretch the defense vertically with top end speed and acceleration after the catch. By taking the top half off of the defense the Z creates space underneath for the horizontal threats.
Best fit - Keontez Lewis
Y - Strongside Slot
At the Y position you're looking for a receiver who can be a vertical threat up the seam as well as a horizontal threat underneath running mesh and stick. Someone reliable the QB can look for when everything break down.
Best fit - Chimere Dike
H - Weakside Slot (#3 in Trips)
The jack of all trades. This is your spot for your player who might be quicker than fast and can make things happen in space. He is as much at home running a bubble screen or a jet sweep as he is running a dig over middle.
Best fit - Will Pauling
X - Weakside WR
The X is more of a possession receiver relied upon to run shorter routes like hitches, slants, and quick outs. In the extreme Air Raid offense of years past the X was equivalent to the run game. But with an Air Raid offense speed is still important for vertical routes with the ability to track the ball on the back shoulder.
Best fit - Bryson Green
With any breakdown that occurs outside of the actual receiver room all you can do is make an educated guess. I placed receivers into an offense based on film, finding Air Raid-esque examples, and trying to mold it to what a typical Air Raid team would use. While I am confident in how each receiver fits the system it will be up to Phil Longo to decide how they best fit his vision for the passing game while working in tandem with our already potent rushing attack. But what I believe this shows is that we do have the horses in the stable to build a deadly passing game. We have receivers that tick all the boxes you are looking for in a well balanced offense and I can't wait for the spring and to get an idea of how the WR room will be utilized.