Kirk Herbstreit explains the secret to Lincoln Riley’s success and what he does that makes him the best offensive coach in college football and the NFL.
First, it was Baker Mayfield, then it was Kyler Murray and now Lincoln Riley is working his magic with Jalen Hurts. The Oklahoma head coach is the quarterback whisperer and everyone from college football to the NFL is taking notice of the brilliant work he’s doing in Norman.
After coaching the Heisman and No. 1 NFL Draft picks the last two years, Riley could make it three in a row with the start by Hurts who is doing things we didn’t see at Alabama when he was already really good.
Hurts saw his game go to the next level under Riley’s tutelage, just as it did with Murray and Mayfield before him. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit isn’t’ surprised because they are all really talented, but Riley has put them in a position to thrive.
“I think it has to do with a lot of things,” Herbstreit told me in an interview promoting Goodyear’s Headed to the Hall sweepstakes. “Obviously, the talent of Baker, Kyler and even Jalen. I don’t think people really appreciate how talented a player Jalen is. The kid has incredible upside as far as a thrower and a runner.”
Hurts has elevated his stock when it comes to his future in the NFL. Once believed to be an afterthought by NFL teams, Hurts is showing he has the arm talent and all-around game to follow Murray and Mayfield to the first round. Because of what Riley has done in the last two years, the NFL has taken notice, and coaches are flocking to Norman to get a first-hand look at the offensive genius at work.
"What makes Lincoln so unique is you’re talking about a guy who has figured out the college game and NFL coaches are coming to visit him. I talked to him a few months ago and he said he used to have four or five NFL guys coming in, now he’s got over 30 guys coming in to figure out what they’re doing. So you have not only one of the best offensive coaches in college, but in football, period."
The quarterbacks get all the attention and generate all the headlines. That’s the nature of the position and the sport but Herbstreit points out the key to Riley’s offensive brilliance isn’t solely dependent on the quarterback. It’s an entire offensive philosophy.
"“It’s not just the quarterback even though they’ve won the Heisman and been picked first in the draft the last couple of years. It’s what he does with the offensive line and the running game and the spacing and their passing game. He simplifies the read for the quarterback. He makes the defense have to account for the running game and when you do that, it opens up so many throwing windows for your play-action pass. So Jalen has just been in a great rhythm and I think it has a lot to do with the system."
What makes Riley’s success even more noteworthy is he’s managed to have unparalleled success while doing it with three radically different quarterbacks operating his offense.
“From Baker to Kyler, Kyler was a little different from Baker and now Jalen is a little different from both,” Herbstreit said. “Because when he runs the ball, he’s kinda like a running back he takes off and squares his shoulders. Hurts can run over a safety. If you’re going to beat OU this year, you’re going to have to outscore them because I don’t think anybody is going to stop Jalen Hurts, Lincoln Riley and this offense.”
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