3-3-5 Shell Recruiting Guide (CFB 27): Who to Recruit and Why

56% of snaps ask for the even_4down RRE_RLE job, 44% ask for the odd_tite RRE_RLE job. Designated pass rushers in the sub-package fronts. The pair aligns outside in Nickel and Dime spacing and wins with get-off, because a four-man rush has to create pressure while everyone else covers. Contain duty against scrambling quarterbacks comes with the job. Rushes from width in the three-down sub fronts. Dime 3-2 and Nickel 3-3 Mint supply most of these snaps, so he attacks long edges with only one or two interior bodies beside him and has to win without much help. Twist games off his rush are part of the deal.

Physical 6'2 to 6'5, 245 to 270. Get-off outranks everything else.

69% of snaps ask for the even_4down RRE_RLE job, 31% ask for the odd_tite RRE_RLE job. Designated pass rushers in the sub-package fronts. The pair aligns outside in Nickel and Dime spacing and wins with get-off, because a four-man rush has to create pressure while everyone else covers. Contain duty against scrambling quarterbacks comes with the job. Rushes from width in the three-down sub fronts. Dime 3-2 and Nickel 3-3 Mint supply most of these snaps, so he attacks long edges with only one or two interior bodies beside him and has to win without much help. Twist games off his rush are part of the deal.

Physical 6'2 to 6'5, 245 to 270. Get-off outranks everything else.

67% of snaps ask for the odd_tite REDGE_LEDGE job, 33% ask for the bear_heavy REDGE_LEDGE job. Sets the edge outside the tite front. With the interior trio eating blocks, he squeezes runs back inside and keeps contain against zone schemes, and his rush wins come off power and length more than pure burst. He carries more run responsibility than an even-front edge. Sets a hard edge in heavy fronts. Goal line and bear spacing ask him to close down blockers and force runs back into the pile. Rush matters only after the run is dead.

Physical 6'3 to 6'6, 250 to 280. Length outranks timed speed.

56% of snaps ask for the odd_tite REDGE_LEDGE job, 44% ask for the bear_heavy REDGE_LEDGE job. Sets the edge outside the tite front. With the interior trio eating blocks, he squeezes runs back inside and keeps contain against zone schemes, and his rush wins come off power and length more than pure burst. He carries more run responsibility than an even-front edge. Sets a hard edge in heavy fronts. Goal line and bear spacing ask him to close down blockers and force runs back into the pile. Rush matters only after the run is dead.

Physical 6'3 to 6'6, 250 to 280. Length outranks timed speed.

Matches #1 from a zone start. He plays with zone eyes until the route distribution declares, then locks the vertical like man. Route recognition beats raw speed at this spot, which widens the recruiting pool. He midpoints #1 and #2 until the picture resolves, and the extra grass punishes slow processing more than slow legs.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Recognition outranks timed speed.

CB1/CB2 are the outside pair; boundary vs field is alignment, the depth chart does not split them

Matches #1 from a zone start. He plays with zone eyes until the route distribution declares, then locks the vertical like man. Route recognition beats raw speed at this spot, which widens the recruiting pool. He midpoints #1 and #2 until the picture resolves, and the extra grass punishes slow processing more than slow legs.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Recognition outranks timed speed.

CB1/CB2 are the outside pair; boundary vs field is alignment, the depth chart does not split them

Handles #2 in the match count. Seams and out-breakers from the slot are his to carry or pass off, and the pass-off decision is the skill. He funnels vertical stems to safety help and squeezes everything else.

Physical 5'9 to 6'0, 185 to 200. Processing outranks length.

first slot body; CB_slot rows cover CB3 and CB4

Handles #2 in the match count. Seams and out-breakers from the slot are his to carry or pass off, and the pass-off decision is the skill. He funnels vertical stems to safety help and squeezes everything else.

Physical 5'9 to 6'0, 185 to 200. Processing outranks length.

second slot body, on the field in dime sets

57% of snaps ask for the odd_tite DT job, 37% ask for the even_4down DT job. Plays the long end spots of the odd fronts, from a 4i on the tackle's inside shoulder in tite spacing to a head-up or outside 5-technique in base 3-4 looks. He two-gaps with length and keeps the B-gap closed so runs spill to the edge players. Rush production comes from push and hands rather than speed. Penetrates as the 3-technique. He lines up on the guard's outside shoulder and wins the B-gap with his first step, turning run downs into losses behind the line. On passing downs he supplies the interior rush that keeps quarterbacks off their spot. 23% of his snaps come from mugged formations. Protections point extra attention at the mugged threats, which leaves the nose and tackle in more one-on-one blocks they are expected to win.

Physical 6'3 to 6'6, 285 to 315. Arm length outranks burst.

48% of snaps ask for the odd_tite NT job, 44% ask for the even_4down NT job. Two-gaps the center in tite spacing. He absorbs double teams without giving ground and closes both A-gaps so the linebackers can run. There is no help coming, so mass and leverage are the job. Anchors the front as the shade nose. He controls the A-gap against interior runs and holds his ground against double teams so the MIKE can flow. Pocket push on late downs is a bonus on top of the run-down anchor. 28% of his snaps come from mugged formations. Protections point extra attention at the mugged threats, which leaves the nose and tackle in more one-on-one blocks they are expected to win.

Physical 6'1 to 6'4, 320 to 350. Anchor against doubles outranks every measurable.

Plays the long end spots of the odd fronts, from a 4i on the tackle's inside shoulder in tite spacing to a head-up or outside 5-technique in base 3-4 looks. He two-gaps with length and keeps the B-gap closed so runs spill to the edge players. Rush production comes from push and hands rather than speed.

Physical 6'3 to 6'6, 285 to 315. Arm length outranks burst.

Covers the guards in bear looks and multiplies in goal line fronts, where DT3 and RDT tokens add extra interior bodies. Every rep is a single block in a phone booth, so he has to win fast with power because there is no space to recover.

Physical 6'2 to 6'5, 300 to 330. Short-area power outranks any testing number.

Reads #2 from depth on his half. Match rules make him a two-way player: vertical by #2 is his to carry, anything under it frees him to rob or fit. Once his key blocks, he arrives in the run fit like an extra backer.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 195 to 210. Read speed outranks range.

Mirrors the FS job to his side. Match shells make the safeties interchangeable readers, so both need the same eyes and the same trigger. Whichever one offenses find slower becomes the target, which sets the floor for both spots.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 195 to 210. Read speed outranks range.

Applies when the third safety is on the field. He apexes #2 as the overhang in three-safety match looks, walling inside releases and expanding late to the flat. The wall matters most, because seams behind a soft apex break match rules. 100% of his snaps come from three_high formations, where the deep-third variant applies. In these alignments SS2 plays a true deep third, so the ask shifts from overhang force to top-down coverage: stay over #2 and #3 verticals and arrive late against the run.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 195 to 215. Two-plane movement outranks size.

third safety; on the field in 3-3-5 3 High, 3-3-5 3 High Odd, 3-3-5 3 High Over

56% of snaps ask for the even_4down SUBLB job, 44% ask for the odd_tite SUBLB job. Holds the second level of the sub packages that carry most snaps. The job is coverage first, matching backs and tight ends underneath, with a late rush added when the assignment stays in to block. Sub fronts field both SUBLB tokens together, so this is a sign-two position. Covers from the middle of light boxes. Dime 3-2 alone supplies over half of these snaps, so he protects the middle hole and carries verticals from #3 with little help around him. Space tackling is the floor requirement. Coverage demand runs highest here: nearly three quarters of shell-match snaps are sub personnel. 36% of his snaps come from mugged formations. Walked into an A-gap before the snap, he either arrives with the rush or bails into coverage after showing it, and the bail is the hard part. Short-area burst plus coverage recovery is the trait pair that survives the assignment.

Physical 6'0 to 6'3, 220 to 240. Coverage movement outranks bulk.

No blitz attribute exists on the scouting panel. Blitz maps to Acceleration and Hit Power here.

56% of snaps ask for the even_4down SUBLB job, 44% ask for the odd_tite SUBLB job. Holds the second level of the sub packages that carry most snaps. The job is coverage first, matching backs and tight ends underneath, with a late rush added when the assignment stays in to block. Sub fronts field both SUBLB tokens together, so this is a sign-two position. Covers from the middle of light boxes. Dime 3-2 alone supplies over half of these snaps, so he protects the middle hole and carries verticals from #3 with little help around him. Space tackling is the floor requirement. Coverage demand runs highest here: nearly three quarters of shell-match snaps are sub personnel. 36% of his snaps come from mugged formations. Walked into an A-gap before the snap, he either arrives with the rush or bails into coverage after showing it, and the bail is the hard part. Short-area burst plus coverage recovery is the trait pair that survives the assignment.

Physical 6'0 to 6'3, 220 to 240. Coverage movement outranks bulk.

No blitz attribute exists on the scouting panel. Blitz maps to Acceleration and Hit Power here.

Runs free behind the trio. The front's job is to keep him unblocked, and his job is to make that matter, flowing tackle to tackle and finishing in the open field. On pass downs he owns the middle hook and carries #3 up the seam when the call asks. When it stays on the field the backers become the underneath matchers, taking final #3 and holding the middle hook against layered routes.

Physical 6'0 to 6'3, 235 to 255. Diagnose-and-go outranks size.

Scrapes behind a front built to keep him clean. He presses the line when the trio holds and falls back over the top when it slants, and his tackles come at full speed in pursuit. Flat and hook drops fill the pass downs. When it stays on the field the backers become the underneath matchers, taking final #3 and holding the middle hook against layered routes.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 225 to 245. Closing speed outranks size.

Plays overhang in the stack fronts. Aligned off the edge in 3-3-5 looks, he splits the difference between box and slot, and he forces runs from width while handling flat coverage or edge blitz duty by call. When it stays on the field the backers become the underneath matchers, taking final #3 and holding the middle hook against layered routes.

Physical 6'1 to 6'3, 225 to 245. Space tackling outranks bulk.

No blitz attribute exists on the scouting panel. Blitz maps to Acceleration and Hit Power here.