Erik Washington, my old Panthers DLine coach used to say "GET OFF IS THE FIRST FUNDAMENTAL" and I couldn't agree with this more. If a DLineman has a good get off, this gives him a massive advantage in the run and pass game.

Just look at this clip of Oregon up and comer Kayvon Thibodeaux. He gets the sack here just off of pure get off. No moves needed! Just get off, dip and rip. Credit to Dlinevids for the awesome video!

And get off massively helps in the run as well. Rashard Lawrence does a great job getting of the ball and creating massive vertical disruption with pure GET OFF!

Hopefully you're convinced get off is the #1 fundamental any DLineman needs to perfect. You may be saying well Craig how the heck do I improve my get off? Well, below are the drills I personally love to perfect my own get off!

Ball reaction drill

All you need for this one is a ball and a friend. Practice your pass rush get off by keying the ball and grabbing as much green grass as you can with your first step when the ball twitches

Stop light drill

This is one of my favorites. When you're waiting at a red light key the stoplight and when it turns green hit the gas as fast as you can.

Youtube visualization drill

Coronavirus can't stop this drill. Just type in CFB full games into Youtube, select the first game you see and imagine yourself getting off the ball when the ball is snapped in the youtube clip. It doesn't seem like much, but visualization is one of the most powerful tools you can utilize to improve your get off.

Reaction time test

There are a ton of reaction apps and games that you can play on your computer or phone. One that I like is the reaction time test (as seen below). Play games like these as much as possible. Getting as many reps as possible to train your reaction is absolutely necessary!

Support

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- Craig

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