4-2-5 Zone Pressure Recruiting Guide (CFB 27): Who to Recruit and Why

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Physical 6'3 to 6'5, 240 to 265. First step over mass.

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.

Physical 6'3 to 6'5, 240 to 265. First step over mass.

Plays the short-side third behind a five-man rush. Fire-zone rules leave three deep and three under, one fewer underneath defender than base zone, so the short game to his side lands quickly and help arrives late if at all. He squeezes verticals and rallies hard to the flat when the throw beats the pressure. Field-side hot routes settle in front of him, so his tackle on the catch has to be automatic.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Discipline outranks flash.

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

Plays the short-side third behind a five-man rush. Fire-zone rules leave three deep and three under, one fewer underneath defender than base zone, so the short game to his side lands quickly and help arrives late if at all. He squeezes verticals and rallies hard to the flat when the throw beats the pressure. Field-side hot routes settle in front of him, so his tackle on the catch has to be automatic.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Discipline outranks flash.

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

Plays seam-flat to the pressure side or drops as the third underneath defender. His zone shrinks and expands with the blitz path, so pattern feel matters more than raw cover skill. Screens thrown into pressure are his to erase.

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

first slot body; CB_slot rows cover CB3 and CB4

Plays seam-flat to the pressure side or drops as the third underneath defender. His zone shrinks and expands with the blitz path, so pattern feel matters more than raw cover skill. Screens thrown into pressure are his to erase.

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

second slot body, on the field in dime sets

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. 37% 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 6'2 to 6'5, 285 to 310. First-step quickness outranks bulk.

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. 42% 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.

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.

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.

Spins to the deep middle as the rush declares. These books rotate safeties at the snap, and he lands in the post more often than beside it, so pre-snap disguise and post-snap range both belong to him. Scramble cleanup is his when the rush loses its lane.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 190 to 205. Range outranks hitting.

Drops down as a seam player or joins the pressure. Fire zones make him the rotation piece that replaces a blitzing backer, playing seam technique outside-in on #2 and carrying him vertical or to the flat. Route feel underneath plus a willing run fill keeps the call sound.

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

Applies when the third safety is on the field, and nearly a quarter of zone-pressure snaps carry the third safety, the most of any pressure style. He blitzes off the overhang or buzzes the seam behind someone else's blitz, and the offense should not know which until the ball is out. 14% 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 jobs at one speed is the trait.

third safety; on the field in 4-2-5 3 High, 4-2-5 Even, 4-2-5 Over G, 4-2-5 Under

No blitz attribute exists on the DB scouting panel. Blitz maps to Acceleration and Tackle here.

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. He rushes the A-gap on schedule, and when the call sends someone else he becomes one of the three underneath droppers, usually the middle hole. 40% 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.

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. He rushes the A-gap on schedule, and when the call sends someone else he becomes one of the three underneath droppers, usually the middle hole. 35% 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.

Hits lead blockers behind a loaded line. The front eats the linemen and he meets fullbacks and pullers in the hole, keeping his fits square in short yardage. Coverage asks are minimal here. They rush through interior gaps or sink into three-under coverage, and the drop is the harder skill to recruit for.

Physical 6'0 to 6'3, 240 to 260. Thump outranks range.

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

Fits downhill from the weak side of heavy fronts. He fills fast and takes on climb blocks without giving ground to finish runs at the line. Backside screens are the only pass work that finds him. They rush through interior gaps or sink into three-under coverage, and the drop is the harder skill to recruit for.

Physical 6'0 to 6'3, 235 to 255. Thump outranks range.

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