Last week, we examined all the different ways Georgia and offensive coordinator Todd Monken used tight end Brock Bowers last season and the explosive plays he created. The opportunities were also there in 2020, as Monken consistently created big-play opportunities for the tight end group. However, Bowers' emergence as one of the pre-eminent weapons in all of college football, combined with some play-calling adjustments in year two, fully unleashed the position group's capabilities.

Now that this group has found its identity, what's the next step? The offensive staff is studying others who've had success using tight end-heavy schemes. Below are three offenses who’ve done just that.

First, Colorado State was not a good football team last season. They finished 3-9, including losing their final six games. They did, however, focus the majority of their offense on a tight end likely to have his name called in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft this month.

Trey McBride was the 2021 Mackey Award winner. McBride accounted for 35 percent of the Rams’ targets (122), 38 percent of their receptions (91), and their offense did everything they could to get him the ball.

Given McBride’s presence and their other personnel, the Rams had at least two tight ends on the field for 88 percent of their snaps, by far the most in the FBS.

Despite their overall struggles, the Rams offense found creative ways to get McBride the ball, much like Georgia will look to do with Bowers—whether lining McBride up in the backfield and motioning to an empty set to get him 1-on-1 with a linebacker (first clip above against Iowa), or running a middle screen with him after a jet sweep fake (second clip).

As in any offense, it’s not always about finding ways to get your primary weapon the ball. It's also about using that weapon to create opportunities for others. In the above clip, McBride runs a drag/crossing route and pulls the middle of the field safety with him to open a clear lane for the seam route by the Rams' other tight end.

Bowers will get his touches in 2022, but using him to create explosive play opportunities for Darnell Washington, Arik Gilbert, or even true freshman Oscar Delp will be just as fun to watch.

On a different end of the spectrum, the Utah Utes rode their usage of two and three tight end sets to a Pac 12 championship and Rose Bowl appearance. The Utes were the third-highest graded offense in the FBS in 12 or 13 personnel (Georgia was 11th). Their three tight ends combined for 101 receptions on 138 targets for 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns.

In addition to their heavy tight end sets, Utah used a variety of motions to ensure they got the matchups they wanted, especially against man coverage-heavy teams like Ohio State.

It’s not just the passing game where 12 and 13 personnel can be used to create matchup advantages. The Utes also had the second-highest graded rush offense in the FBS out of 12/13 personnel. Like Georgia did with Bowers, the tight end jet sweep (first clip against USC) was a part of their arsenal.

Does Georgia run counters? Definitely, and the second clip shows an area where Georgia can evolve. Utah used its three tight end sets to allow it to run counter in either direction. If the defense overplayed the numbers in any way, the Utes were able to run their counter game to the side where they had the numbers advantage.

Three tight ends on the field doesn’t necessarily mean smash mouth football, either. The Utes did a great job of dictating the defensive personnel on the field with their tight ends, then spreading teams out. The first clip above (against USC) shows a very unique way to run the common “four verticals” concept, while in the second clip, the Utes went empty to get a desirable 1-on-1 matchup in the middle of the field.

While 28-3 is forever etched in stone in our memories, it still doesn’t take away from the offensive juggernaut Kyle Shanahan and Matt Ryan piloted in 2016. For all that Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, and Tevin Coleman did that season, the Falcons' three tight ends were a huge part of the offense that year.

That season, when targeting tight ends, Ryan had a 76.6 adjusted completion percentage on 94 attempts, 884 yards, 11 touchdowns, just one interception, and a 135.2 passer rating.

The Falcons also ran 13 personnel the second-most times in the NFL that season, and had more explosive plays from multiple tight end sets than any team in the league. Whether it be play-action leak concepts (above clip) that became an explosive play on multiple occasions or three tight end empty sets with vertical route combos, much can be learned from what the Falcons did with their tight ends that season.

Georgia's talent and advantage at tight end gives it something most other teams in college football can’t match. Now it’s up to the offense to learn, evolve, and maximize that advantage.