[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":63},["ShallowReactive",2],{"tip-deep-curls-route-cfb-26":3,"pillar-deep-curls-route-cfb-26":46,"links-deep-curls-route-cfb-26":47,"parent-deep-curls-route-cfb-26":62},{"id":4,"video_id":5,"knowledge_source_ids":6,"topic_title":8,"slug":9,"youtube_timestamp_url":10,"timestamp_seconds":11,"page_content_html":12,"tldr_summary":13,"faq_json":14,"meta_title":30,"meta_description":31,"status":32,"published_at":33,"game_tag":34,"category_tags":35,"search_keywords":38,"created_at":44,"updated_at":45},"956c44d4-7ec8-4f10-8cce-4dde4c97f6a2","e5c54668-68fe-46e6-8bc9-20d5dceaa4c5",[7],"d48540a8-c5d8-4203-9b5c-932556ab1cf6","Deep Curls","deep-curls-route-cfb-26","https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002F0gJb0fW11sg?t=837",837,"\u003Ch2>How to Run Deep Curls That Break Defenses\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Deep curls are stupid good in College Football 26. Annoying to defend — you never see it coming. Easy to execute on offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Here's the deal: this route attacks 20 yards downfield. What actually defends that area? Deep zones are too slow to react. Man coverage gets cooked by the timing. It's a coverage killer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Basic setup:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Any formation works, but trips formations are money. Use \u003Cstrong>All Go\u003C\u002Fstrong> from \u003Cstrong>Houston Gun Wild Trips\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Put a curl on your outside receiver — Y\u002FTriangle to select, hold Left Bumper, up two ticks on the D-pad. Done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The real power comes when you build a high-low concept around it. Flat your halfback, drag your slot, curl the outside receiver. Now you're isolating that side of the field. They defend underneath? Hit the curl. They don't? Take the easy stuff underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>What Makes Deep Curls So Effective\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>The route attacks the dead zone in coverage — 20 yards downfield. Think about what actually defends there:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Deep zones\u003C\u002Fstrong> — too slow to snap down on the curl\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Man coverage\u003C\u002Fstrong> — gets beat by timing throws\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Underneath zones\u003C\u002Fstrong> — don't reach high enough\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>You'd need a 20-yard flat zone to properly defend this. That's not happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Against man coverage, the route is even nastier. That safety above your receiver can't react fast enough when you throw with timing. The curl creates separation at the break point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>How to Execute the Route Properly\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Route adjustment steps:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>Select outside wide receiver with Y\u002FTriangle\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Hold Left Bumper\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Press up on D-pad twice\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\u003Cp>This creates the \u003Cstrong>deep stemmed up curl route\u003C\u002Fstrong> — key difference from regular curls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Catching technique:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Click on when the ball's in the air. Press Y\u002FCircle while pushing left stick toward the ball. Attack it aggressively — don't wait for it to come to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The route works from tight ends too. Send your TE down the middle on a deep curl. Same concept, different personnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>When to Use Deep Curl Concepts\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Perfect situations:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Against Cover 2 — safeties are too deep\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Against Cover 3 — attacks the hole between zones\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>When they send pressure — quick developing route\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Against man coverage — timing beats coverage\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Avoid near the end zone\u003C\u002Fstrong> — compressed field makes it less effective. You need that 20-yard depth to work properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Best on early downs when you need chunk yardage. Third and medium situations are perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>How to Build Deadly Route Combinations\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>The standalone deep curl is good. But route combinations make it unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>High-low setup:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Flat route (halfback)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Drag route (slot receiver) — fast read\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Deep curl (outside receiver)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>Forces the defense to pick their poison. Defend underneath? Hit the curl. Jump the curl? Take the drag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Double curl concept:\u003C\u002Fstrong> From \u003Cstrong>Gun Cluster\u003C\u002Fstrong> in Sam Houston's playbook, run two deep curls from the slots. Both routes break at the same depth — impossible to cover both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Ultimate combination:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Return route underneath\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Drag route (quickest read)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Two deep in-breaking routes\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>Doesn't matter if they're in man, zone, or match coverage. Someone's getting open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>What Defenses Struggle Against This\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Think about what the defense has to do. They need:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Players underneath the curl route\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Coverage high enough above the drag\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Depth to match the 20-yard break point\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>That's a lot to ask. Most defenses can't cover all those areas simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Zone coverage problems:\u003C\u002Fstrong> The curl sits between levels. Too deep for underneath zones, breaks too hard for deep zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Man coverage problems:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Route creates separation at the break. Timing throws beat the coverage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>Common Mistakes to Avoid\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Don't stare at the curl\u003C\u002Fstrong> — read the underneath stuff first. If they take away the drag and flat, then hit the curl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Don't force it in the red zone\u003C\u002Fstrong> — compressed field changes the geometry. Use other concepts down there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Don't forget the catch technique\u003C\u002Fstrong> — attack the ball aggressively. Y\u002FCircle while moving toward the catch point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Don't run it without complements\u003C\u002Fstrong> — the route combination is what makes this deadly, not just the single curl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The curl might not always be open. But something will be. That's what makes this concept so powerful — it creates multiple problems the defense can't solve all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>","Deep curls attack the 20-yard dead zone that most coverages can't defend—deep zones react too slow, man coverage gets beat by timing, underneath zones can't reach. Use Houston Gun Wild Trips with All Go, adjust your outside receiver to a deep curl (Y + Left Bumper + up twice on D-pad), then build high-low concepts with flats and drags underneath.",[15,18,21,24,27],{"answer":16,"question":17},"Use Houston Gun Wild Trips formation with All Go. Select your outside receiver with Y\u002FTriangle, hold Left Bumper, then press up on D-pad twice. This creates a deep stemmed up curl route that attacks 20 yards downfield.","How do you run deep curls in College Football 26?",{"answer":19,"question":20},"Deep curls attack the dead zone at 20 yards downfield where no coverage can properly defend. Deep zones are too slow to react, man coverage gets beat by timing, and underneath zones don't reach high enough.","Why are deep curls so effective in College Football 26?",{"answer":22,"question":23},"Deep curls work best against Cover 2 and Cover 3, when they send pressure, and against man coverage. Use them on early downs and third and medium situations when you need chunk yardage.","When should you use deep curl routes?",{"answer":25,"question":26},"Click on when the ball's in the air, then press Y\u002FCircle while pushing left stick toward the ball. Attack it aggressively - don't wait for it to come to you.","How do you catch deep curls properly?",{"answer":28,"question":29},"Build a high-low concept by adding a flat route with your halfback and a drag with your slot receiver. This isolates one side of the field - if they defend underneath, hit the curl; if not, take the easy stuff underneath.","What route combinations work with deep curls?","Deep Curls Route Guide CFB 26 | Civil.GG","Master the deep curls route concept in College Football 26. Learn how to run this difficult-to-defend play from trips and other formations effectively.","published","2026-04-24T13:07:42.359686+00:00","college_football_26",[36,37],"offense","passing",[39,40,41,42,43],"deep curls","deep curly hair","deep curly human hair bundles","deep curls wig","deep curly human hair","2026-04-24T13:06:53.140758+00:00","2026-04-24T13:07:42.463675+00:00",null,[48,52,56,59],{"anchor_text":49,"slug":50,"link_type":51},"Every META Route Combo Explained | College Football 26","cfb-26-meta-route-combos-guide","cluster_to_pillar",{"anchor_text":53,"slug":54,"link_type":55},"Drive Post Everything Beater","drive-post-everything-beater-strategy","cluster_to_cluster",{"anchor_text":57,"slug":58,"link_type":55},"Pass Lead Increase","cfb-26-pass-lead-increase",{"anchor_text":60,"slug":61,"link_type":55},"Arkansas State Offensive Playbook Analysis","arkansas-state-offensive-playbook-cfb-26",{"title":49,"slug":50},1777732173352]