FOX News

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Which college teams still run the triple option!

🏈 Still holding the line with the triple option—a few college teams continue to embrace this old-school, run-heavy offense that prioritizes deception, discipline, and clock control. Here's who’s keeping it alive:

🛡️ FBS Teams

  • Army, Navy, and Air Force: The three U.S. service academies are the most prominent programs still running the Flexbone triple option as their primary offense. It suits their personnel and plays to their strategic strengths.

  • Georgia Southern: While they’ve evolved toward a more hybrid system, they still incorporate option principles into their playbook.

  • Coastal Carolina: Known for blending spread concepts with option elements, they run a modernized version that keeps defenses guessing.

🐾 FCS and Lower Divisions

  • The Citadel: A consistent triple option team in the FCS ranks.

  • Kennesaw State: A powerhouse in the FCS that runs the option to near perfection, especially impressive given their relatively young program.

  • Davidson College: Runs a shotgun-based triple option offense.

  • Wofford College: Historically known for its “Wing-Bone” variation of the triple option.

  • Harding University (DII): Dominated with the Flexbone, rushing for over 6,000 yards in a season while passing fewer than 60 times.

  • Salisbury University (DIII): Uses Navy-style triple option and consistently ranks among the top rushing teams.

These programs prove that while the triple option may be rare in today’s pass-heavy landscape, it’s far from extinct. It’s a system that rewards precision and punishes undisciplined defenses—and when executed well, it’s poetry in motion.

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