In 2025, Charlie Weis Jr. dialed up Y-Cross 88 times, which is almost 6 times per game. It averaged 9.8 yards per attempt and had a 56.8% success rate.
There are 3 reasons this play is so effective:
The Crossing route
The Post-Read route
The frontside concept
Below I will detail each aspect of Y-Cross through film cutups and play diagrams from Lane Kiffin’s playbook.
1. The Crossing Route
If you have been coached up on how to run the Cross route, you have probably been taught, “get under Sam, over Mike, and over to 15-18 yards". Kiffin and Weis Jr. generally teach the same thing.
This is the generic way that the Cross is supposed to run his route; however, there are three different adjustments he can take.
The first, and probably most common, adjustment he can take is to flatten out the Cross against Man coverage or against a Safety that is playing low. Below you can see the Slot WR dive in, square up the defender, and then flatten the route out across the field. This is a necessity so that the defender isn’t able to undercut the throw.
This is a members-only post. Continue reading the full breakdown on Substack.
Read on Substack →