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

59% of snaps ask for the even_4down RRE_RLE job, 41% 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.

74% of snaps ask for the even_4down RRE_RLE job, 26% 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.

40% of snaps ask for the even_4down REDGE_LEDGE job, 33% ask for the odd_tite REDGE_LEDGE job, 27% ask for the bear_heavy REDGE_LEDGE job. First job is winning the edge as a rusher. Aligned wide in 4-down spacing, he attacks upfield at the snap and turns speed into pressure. He sets the edge on the way to the quarterback, not instead of it. 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 6'5, 240 to 265. First step over mass.

40% of snaps ask for the even_4down REDGE_LEDGE job, 33% ask for the odd_tite REDGE_LEDGE job, 27% ask for the bear_heavy REDGE_LEDGE job. First job is winning the edge as a rusher. Aligned wide in 4-down spacing, he attacks upfield at the snap and turns speed into pressure. He sets the edge on the way to the quarterback, not instead of it. 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 6'5, 240 to 265. First step over mass.

Plays the short-side zone with his eyes on the quarterback. Deep third or squat flat by call, he reads route distribution instead of chasing one man. Cloud calls make him the force player on boundary runs, and screens to his side are his tackles to make. Tackling counts here as much as coverage. Field thirds stretch vertically and field flats stretch horizontally, so he needs range in both planes and patience against layered routes.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Ball reaction outranks man twitch.

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

Plays the short-side zone with his eyes on the quarterback. Deep third or squat flat by call, he reads route distribution instead of chasing one man. Cloud calls make him the force player on boundary runs, and screens to his side are his tackles to make. Tackling counts here as much as coverage. Field thirds stretch vertically and field flats stretch horizontally, so he needs range in both planes and patience against layered routes.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Ball reaction outranks man twitch.

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

Works the curl-flat and hook areas from the slot. He passes routes off and jumps the ones thrown in front of him, and run support falls to him as the closest extra defender. Vision beats man twitch at this spot in these books.

Physical 5'9 to 6'0, 185 to 200. Trigger outranks recovery speed.

first slot body; CB_slot rows cover CB3 and CB4

Works the curl-flat and hook areas from the slot. He passes routes off and jumps the ones thrown in front of him, and run support falls to him as the closest extra defender. Vision beats man twitch at this spot in these books.

Physical 5'9 to 6'0, 185 to 200. Trigger outranks recovery speed.

second slot body, on the field in dime sets

49% of snaps ask for the odd_tite DT job, 43% 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. 19% 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.

49% of snaps ask for the even_4down NT job, 43% ask for the odd_tite NT 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. 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. 21% 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, 300 to 330. Anchor strength outranks height.

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 the quarterback from the deep middle or a deep half. Zone structure lets him break on the ball instead of trailing a man, which makes ball skills the separator at this spot. Interception production lives in this row.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 190 to 205. Instincts outrank timed speed.

Rotates between deep halves and underneath robber zones. He reads the release of #2 to find work, and against run he fits from depth with momentum. Missed tackles from that alignment turn into touchdowns, so tackling has a hard floor.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 195 to 210. Downhill control outranks top speed.

Applies when the third safety is on the field. He is the seam-flat defender in three-safety zone shells: he buzzes under #2 and squeezes the seam, and run force from width belongs to him. About 17 percent of zone-book snaps field this body. 27% 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 Over Flex, 3-3-5 Stack

59% of snaps ask for the even_4down SUBLB job, 41% 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 is hook and curl drops with vision on the quarterback, walling #3 as routes distribute. 34% 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.

59% of snaps ask for the even_4down SUBLB job, 41% 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 is hook and curl drops with vision on the quarterback, walling #3 as routes distribute. 34% 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.

58% of snaps ask for the odd_tite MIKE job, 25% ask for the even_4down MIKE job. 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. Runs the middle of the base defense. He triggers downhill between the tackles against the run and drops to the hook zones on pass downs. Base backers drop to landmarks and break on throws.

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

58% of snaps ask for the odd_tite WILL job, 25% ask for the even_4down WILL job. 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. Chases from the weak side. Protected from most direct blocks, he flows fast to the ball and cleans up what the front spills. In coverage he carries backs to the flat and closes on checkdowns. Base backers drop to landmarks and break on throws.

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. Base backers drop to landmarks and break on throws.

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.