AJ Cooper, LB Coach, Arizona State
This video was originally posted on Glazier Connect.
It is a segment of a content video from Glazier Drive: LB Tackling Progression
See why 33,000+ coaches from schools across the nation trust Glazier Drive to help their program succeed.
Glazier Drive has 3,000+ individual videos from top coaches, 58 complete football coaching systems, and exclusive content from top coaches in the industry.
Start your free trial by signing up here: GlazierDrive.com
OVERVIEW
This video breaks down Arizona State’s linebacker tackling progression, using a “backward teaching” approach — starting players in the fit/contact position first to build confidence and feel, then gradually working them backward into full-speed, in-space tackling.
PHASE 1: FIT POSITION PROGRESSION
Players start already in the tackling fit position with their face already on contact, emphasizing near foot up, same foot/same shoulder, and an exaggerated “uppercut” arm swing while driving their feet for five steps. The coaching cue is “get a leg, take a leg” (squeezing and lifting the ball carrier’s leg). From there, the drill backs players up incrementally — one step into contact, then two steps into contact — while keeping all the same fundamentals: same foot/same shoulder, face centered on the near hip/near number, and driving through contact for five steps.
PHASE 2: TACKLING IN SPACE (SEVEN CONE DRILL)
Designed to simulate open-field tackling. Linebackers must take away space, keep leverage, and force the ball carrier in one direction while staying inside-out and avoiding a head-up position (which gives the ball carrier a three-way go). Starts as a non-contact drill with one player as the “linebacker” and one as the “ball carrier,” working the same collision point, footwork, and leverage principles.
PHASE 3: ADDING AN AGILITY BAG (SPEED/GATOR TACKLING)
Once pads are on, an agility bag is added to mimic speed tackles — the kind needed on screens, bubbles, and stretch plays. Players work to stay inside-out and track to the near hip/near number, a technique also called a “gator tackle” or “roll tackle.”
PHASE 4: ADDING A “CRASH MAN”
A blocker/crash defender is added to increase realism. The focus stays on loading up the strike (uppercuts or palms down, based on player preference) and finishing with proper near hip/near number contact.
PHASE 5: COMBINING DRILLS IN SPACE (“REVERSE L”)
Players now work around a cone in a reverse-L shape, combining the earlier fit and space-tackling drills. Coaching points include closing distance quickly, breaking down properly, keeping hips and shoulders square on contact, and avoiding getting too wide or head-up on the ball carrier.
PHASE 6: LIVE TEAM PERIODS
Arizona State runs live tackling at least once per week during the season. The coach reviews game-speed reps (jet sweeps, gap schemes) showing linebackers matching the ball carrier’s path, staying inside-out, closing ground, and executing the same near hip/near number technique taught in the drills — while acknowledging that in live football, technique won’t always be picture-perfect.
PHASE 7: GAME FILM APPLICATION
The video closes with real game clips (quarterback scrambles, tackles in space) showing the direct carryover from the drill progression — players closing distance aggressively, taking good angles, and finishing tackles using the same speed-tackle and gator-tackle mechanics developed in practice.
KEY TAKEAWAY FOR COACHES
The progression is built to move from controlled, confidence-building contact to fully live, game-speed tackling — with each drill reinforcing the same core fundamentals: same foot/same shoulder, near hip/near number, staying inside-out, and avoiding head-up contact.