Skip to main content
Texas

12 Personnel Explained: How Two Tight Ends Unlock an Offense

On3 imageby: Ian Boyd06/14/25Ian_A_Boyd
Jack Endries
USA Today Sports

12 personnel is one of the most versatile formations in football, using two tight ends to create both power and flexibility. This video breaks down how the right 12 personnel looks can open up the run game and give quarterbacks easier passing windows.

[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns scoop!]

Call Luxe Kitchen and Bath at 833-358-LUXE today or visit luxekitchenbath.com to discover where quality meets luxury and begin the process of transforming your home.

The video provides an in-depth explanation of football terminology focused primarily on personnel packages and formations, using the example of the 12 personnel package as practiced by Steve Sarkisian’s Texas offense. It clarifies the difference between personnel packages—who is on the field—and formations—where those players line up—and explains how these concepts are fundamental to understanding football strategies.

The discussion highlights how the personnel numbering system works, specifically that the first digit indicates the number of running backs and the second digit the number of tight ends on the field, with the 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) being a favored package in modern football for balancing blocking and passing versatility. The video further explores the practical implementation of the 12 personnel package in both running plays (such as the “duo” scheme) and passing plays, including RPOs (run-pass options) and spread formations. It emphasizes the strategic manipulation used by Sark to create favorable matchups and confuse defenses by flexing tight ends as receivers and adjusting formations.

The analysis is supported by examples from Texas’s recent games, demonstrating how placing tight ends in specific positions helps create blocking advantages and opens up running lanes or passing opportunities. The video also touches on tactical defensive responses, how offenses exploit them, and the evolving nature of personnel usage in collegiate football.

Join Inside Texas for Market-Leading Texas Longhorns Football coverage!

InsideTexas.com provides just what passionate Texas fans expect: Market-leading coverage of Longhorns athletics and recruiting.

Join the best Texas fan community and receive all the benefits that come with it:

  • Elite team and recruiting coverage of the program you love
  • Immediate access to any Longhorns break news
  • Exclusive insider practice reports and year-round team info as well as board Q&A’s with IT staff
  • High level discourse with the most passionate and informed Longhorns fans across multiple board forums.
  • Market leading team analysis for those who are looking to increase their understanding of Steve Sarkisian and Pete Kwiatkowski’s preferred concepts
  • So much more!

SIGN UP and ensure no Longhorns information gets by you: Join Inside Texas community today!

Talk about this story and many more with fellow Longhorn diehards on the Members Only forum.

You may also like