"He's the best schemer of football": Former USC quarterback explains what makes Lincoln Riley's offense special and largely successful

Lincoln Riley has built one of the most successful offenses in college football since becoming head coach. He made Oklahoma's offense one to reckon with and replicated the success at USC. He's employed the “air raid offense” like never before.

Taking a look at his success in college football, former USC quarterback Mo Hasan praised Riley’s offensive system. Hasan shared his thoughts on the brilliance of an offense that has produced three Heisman-winning quarterbacks.

"Lincoln Riley's offensive schemes are second to none," said Hasan on LAFB Network. "At least at the college level, to me, he's the best schemer of football and playing quarterback, this dude's last three or four guys all won Heisman trophies. I'm like this as good as it gets.”

Misconceptions about Lincoln Riley’s “air raid” offense

Lincoln Riley's offensive scheme is often likened to the traditional air raid system, which was popularized by the likes of Mike Leach, Sonny Dykes and Tony Franklin.

However, the former Oklahoma coach has made some necessary tweaks to the scheme to get the best result. Mo Hasan addressed the mistake of comparing Riley’s system to the traditional air raid.

"That is a huge misconception because I've played under the air-raid. Coach Leach's system, what Graham Harrell had at USC; that is as close to air-raid as you're going to get. No knocking on it, there're quarterbacks that have had a lot of success at it, but it's a different thing," Hasan said.

One of the aspects that differentiates Lincoln Riley's scheme from the traditional air raids is the commitment to the running game. Riley's quarterbacks at Oklahoma and USC have possessed the dual threat attribute, which is key to the team's gameplay.

“Coach Riley is committed to the running game and there are actually similarities to Iowa's running game," he added. "The GT-pulling game that he does, like the creativity with the RPO game. The quarterback runs, there's a reason why most of his quarterbacks have been dual-threat."

"So, he's added so much more to what coach Leach has done. That's the foundation of the passing game, but it's a different entity itself."

The likes of Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and Caleb Williams have gone on to win the Heisman Trophy under Lincoln Riley's air raid offensive scheme, while Jalen Hurts came in second. This showcases the brilliance of the system over the years in college football.

Riley is currently working on bringing USC back to national prominence after years of struggling. His potent offensive scheme will undoubtedly play a crucial role in this.