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

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.

68% of snaps ask for the even_4down REDGE_LEDGE job, 21% ask for the odd_tite 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.

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

68% of snaps ask for the even_4down REDGE_LEDGE job, 21% ask for the odd_tite 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.

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

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.

Plays every coverage family week to week. Multiple books rotate through man and zone calls, so the boundary corner needs a balanced attribute sheet with no zero categories. Specialists struggle when the call sheet turns. One week he presses and the next he sits in a third, so recruit the trait pair that travels: speed and eyes.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Versatility outranks any single tool.

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

Plays every coverage family week to week. Multiple books rotate through man and zone calls, so the boundary corner needs a balanced attribute sheet with no zero categories. Specialists struggle when the call sheet turns. One week he presses and the next he sits in a third, so recruit the trait pair that travels: speed and eyes.

Physical 5'11 to 6'2, 185 to 200. Versatility outranks any single tool.

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

Takes the slot through every package these books carry. Dime sets put a second slot body on the field as CB4, which makes this a sign-two spot in 3-2-6 heavy books. Balanced coverage attributes with a tackling floor set the profile.

Physical 5'9 to 6'0, 180 to 200. Versatility outranks length.

first slot body; CB_slot rows cover CB3 and CB4

Takes the slot through every package these books carry. Dime sets put a second slot body on the field as CB4, which makes this a sign-two spot in 3-2-6 heavy books. Balanced coverage attributes with a tackling floor set the profile.

Physical 5'9 to 6'0, 180 to 200. Versatility outranks length.

second slot body, on the field in dime sets

69% of snaps ask for the even_4down DT job, 26% ask for the odd_tite DT job. 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. 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. 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 6'2 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. 30% 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.

78% of snaps ask for the odd_tite DT job, 22% ask for the bear_heavy 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. 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 6'3 to 6'6, 285 to 315. Arm length outranks burst.

Anchors shells that change by call, single high one snap and split field the next, so range and communication both make the cut.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 190 to 205. Football IQ outranks any measurable.

Swings between box and deep jobs as the front changes. These books keep base personnel on the field nearly half the time, the most of any style, so his run responsibilities are real and weekly. Balanced attributes with a run-support lean fit best.

Physical 6'0 to 6'3, 200 to 215. Two-way usefulness outranks a single elite trait.

Applies when the third safety is on the field, which covers nearly a quarter of multiple-book snaps, the biggest SS2 footprint of any style. The job floats with the call, overhang run force one snap and slot coverage the next. Recruit the hybrid on purpose rather than converting a spare body later. 10% 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. Versatility outranks any single trait.

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

79% of snaps ask for the even_4down SUBLB job, 21% 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. Demand splits nearly even between sub and base personnel, so the SUBLB pair has to cover like nickel bodies without a specialist's usage pattern. 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.

78% of snaps ask for the even_4down SUBLB job, 22% 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. Demand splits nearly even between sub and base personnel, so the SUBLB pair has to cover like nickel bodies without a specialist's usage pattern. 31% 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.

44% of snaps ask for the odd_tite MIKE job, 33% ask for the even_4down MIKE job, 22% ask for the bear_heavy 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. 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 inherit every demand in rotation, run fits one week and hook drops the next, so the Table A linebacker rows deserve extra weight when the book is multiple.

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

43% of snaps ask for the even_4down WILL job, 29% ask for the odd_tite WILL job, 29% ask for the bear_heavy WILL job. 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. 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. 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 inherit every demand in rotation, run fits one week and hook drops the next, so the Table A linebacker rows deserve extra weight when the book is multiple.

Physical 6'0 to 6'2, 225 to 240. Closing speed outranks size.