A big change that won't be easily noticeable during games is coming to college football in 2024.
The sport is finally moving to a system that allows communication between coaches and players on the field via in-helmet devices.
Just like in the NFL, there will only be one player on the field that will be allowed to wear the in-helmet communication devices.
(The rule must be officially approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel next month, but the expectation is that it will be approved.)
When news broke that college football would be moving to this system, my first thought was that the Tennessee Vols, due to their up-tempo offense, wouldn't really utilize the system. The Vols are able to go fast because every player on the field is getting the signal at the same time.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was a bit coy earlier this spring when he was asked about the Vols' plans for the new system.
"Really have an idea, going to try and tinker with it on both sides of the football," explained Heupel earlier this month. "Don't have as many available right now. I think that's true across college football, as what you'd like to be able to work it on both sides of the football every single day, every rep, with all the guys that are potentially going to be wearing it. But a little bit of trial and error. That will happen in practice and scrimmages, kind of figure out how to navigate it, where it is most advantageous to our program that it can be."
Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin was a bit more candid this week when discussing the in-helmet devices, suggesting that it's like a "cheat code".
“It’s here and we utilize it in practice and [it's] our first time getting used to it," said Kiffin. “I think differently, especially after using it. I think it’s really like having a cheat coach in Madden, offensively. I don’t know if they’ve really thought, defensively, of what exactly that means. I think the assumption is, ‘Oh, you talk to the quarterback.’ There’s really more to it than that, especially the way we run our offense. Without giving too much into that, what it allows us to do with signals, with the whole process. I think it’s a cheat code, offensively. If you do certain things offensively.”
Ole Miss, like Tennessee, utilizes tempo. And while each program likely signals plays a bit differently, there are a lot of similarities between both programs and the way their offenses operate.
So you can bet that if Kiffin has figured out a way to make the process even more efficient, then Heupel (and likely anyone else that runs an up-tempo offense) has probably figured it out as well.
Kiffin didn't detail the specifics of how the new system is a "cheat code", but it seems likely that it involves a hybrid system of talking to the quarterback while also using sideline signals for certain players on the field.
We could see offenses that go even faster in 2024 thanks to the new rule. Additionally, the play-calls could become more efficient, reducing in the amount of missed signals that happen (which is bound to happen when teams are going that fast).
Buckle up. The Vols' offense in 2024 could be the most exciting offense we've seen yet under Heupel.
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