Lots has been speculated for some time now based on our failure to bring in the top flight DE and the sheer numbers of DTs and tweener DE/DTs that we've stocked up on, as well as the superior talent at LB, about switching to a 3-4 front. Even more numerous are the comments about odd fronts and how its such a radical difference from what we've been doing. Frankly, most people talking about a 3-4 defense really don't have a clue on what Clemson really runs now, or what the addition of a few more 3-4 fronts to our scheme really means. Truth is, its just a new set of looks to give the offense, not a radical shift. If you have good players in the front 7, the numbers split dictates what you can show most often, but a scheme doesn't radically change based on those numbers splits. No coach in his right mind would completely scrap a system that worked just because he got a few good LBs or DEs, they'd just tweak the scheme to suit the talents of the players, and thats how defenses evolve anyway. 

So we thought it would be a good idea to show you the 4-3 Under again, and compare it to the 3-4 sets you'll see a little more of this year. We wrote part of this article for the UGA Maple Street Press Annual, but the one-gap 3-4 they (and Alabama) play is almost assuredly the style Clemson will show. Going to a 2-gap system would be a more radical departure in terms of scheme and teaching. The staff just won't have time to teach that style well and drill it along with the normal 1-gap 4-3 fronts. Most of what people think about when discussing the 3-4 is the 2-gap style, but the one-gap is something you'll see is almost identical to what we do in the Under front.

Lots of people say stupid things when you bring up the 3-4:

OMG how will we stop the run!?

I dont like the 3-4, how will we get adequate pressure on the QB?

GT plays the 3-4, look how well that did last year!

Virginia played the 3-4 and they couldnt win anything under Groh!!

Our linemen aren't heavy enough to play 3-4!!

These types of things are nonsense spouted by people who don't know shit about football.  If the 3-4 wasn't a sound defense to run, it would not be used by almost half of the NFL. You still have 7 men in the front and they're in the box just as much as a 4-3 defense is, so being sound against the inside run has been solved... its just a matter of whether or not you have the right players in the middle and good coaches to teach them. Sometimes its not easy to find those players, or you play in a league/conference where the minor differences do show an advantage one way or the other.

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To wrap up the series on LB Fundamentals and LB play, here are the articles we finished. Feel free to ask questions about any here. They are meant to be read in roughly this order so that we can build on one after another.

LB Fundamentals: Hit & Shed, and forming the Base to take on blockers

LB Fundamentals: Pursuit

LB Fundamentals: Tackling

LB Fundamentals: Man/Man Coverage

LB Fundamentals: Zone Coverage but you should also read the articles on Pattern Reading: Cover 2 and Cover 3 so it'll all make sense.

LB Play: What is a "key" and what are they watching pre-snap?

LB Play: Alignment and Gap Assignments

LB Play: Reading OLine blockers

LB Play: Reading the RB Key

Playing MLB in the Over or Even fronts


Playing SAM Linebacker in Clemson's Under front defensive style

To make the Under work, a good SAM linebacker is crucial. The best ones are truly freak athletes with great ball skills, capable of dropping into coverage without looking awkward, and yet be strong enough to handle one-on-one blocks from Tackles and TEs every down. As such, to see a freshman excel here is uncommon. Because of the unique job of this position, and the amount he has to learn, blitzing from here is not as prevalent as the other two LB positions in the Under.

Kevin Alexander was adequate in many phases of the scheme, but as a dropping LB he was insufficient. Quandon Christian has the ability to do everything here and do it well enough to take our linebacking corps to the next level.

There are actually two different types of players that play the SAM in the Under, and the scheme must adapt to each one. This type of player is also present in the 3-4 front, particularly the style where he's called a "drop" linebacker. The two alignments that are played here are the 7 (foot splits the TE's feet) and 9 (inside foot makes a line with the TE's outside foot). The guy who lines up in the 7 needs to be bigger and a physical defender, while the 9 is more of a finesse player. Alexander was a better 7 prototype than a 9, while RS freshman Christian was more suited to a 9 in his first year starting because of his lack of weight. His lack of weight and inexperience are also reasons why he was aligned back off the line of scrimmage.

Additionally, when considering the 7 vs. the 9, the outside run support must change. When the SLB is aligned in a 7, he has help outside from the Corner or Safety in the alley. When he is aligned in a 9, he is the outside man and he must force everything back inside.

Alignment & Assignment-

7 - SAM's inside foot splits the feet of the TE. His focus is on the screws of the helmet of the TE into the nearest RB. He keeps his hands at waist height to react to the coming block. He plays the blocker first before worrying about the RB.

His assignment is the gap outside the TE, but when the TE veers inside, he executes the block-down step down just like the DE would if the OT veered. He must protect the MIKE coming around in that case. His job against the option, should the team be in Under against option (they usually arent), is QB first then pitch. When the ball goes away from him, he squeezes inside and looks for counters and cutbacks.

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We've now talked about the fundamentals to play linebacker and discussed the reads for linemen and backs, and the coverage responsibilities were highlighted before.  We aren't planning on doing the two-gap techniques of the inside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme, but the MLB in the Over front is a bit more unique than the one that we play at Clemson. FSU, Miami, UNC and Auburn on the schedule all use the Over front and for a refresher of what it is, see this previous post.

To play the Over, you need to recruit only one "true" linebacker, the Mike. Everyone else was converted from the position they played in HS. How many good LBs can you think of that played for the guys mentioned above? They were usually MLBs. You play your best LB at the Mike, who is protected by the NG, and he can make plays all day unless the NG is awful. The NG and 3-technique must still be able to handle a double-team to keep the LB free.

Incidentally, this type of 2-gap player is almost exactly the same as what the old great LBs played, even in the 5-2 or Wide Tackle 6, long before the 4-3 regained popularlity with the Jimmy Johnson Miami and Cowboys teams.

The textbook Over front, the 3 is aligned to the TE side, and SAM is moved back from the LOS. 

In this front the MLB is aligned behind the NG in a 00 alignment, but he may need to offset himself (to 10) to get a key read on a RB. In most cases, the MLB with this kind of front has to play a RB key. So if the coach wants it to be simple, he basically just tells the LB to charge the A-gap strongside when the ball goes strong, and press the B-gap weakside when the ball goes weak. Thats all he has to learn when he reads run, and its something that you can easily teach in Pony or even up to HS. Its also something that is easy to teach when you play multiple fronts. You cannot drill everything for every front the defense learns in August, so giving them a simple read for a front they may play just 10x in a game is advantageous. For teams in college and NFL who play this as the dominant front however, that kind of key read gets you into trouble. In those cases the MLB has to learn the same OL block reads but applied to the Center. For teams that play both Over and Under, teaching him just the Guard read can work.

Flow strongside - The MLB presses the A-gap if its open. If the gap is closed up, via stunting or blockers, he shuffles strongside and hits the first open gap. If its the FB on an isolation, he has to run right through him.

Flow weak - The MLB does the same thing, but for the weak B-gap.

For Center reads, the theme is the same as the Guard reads discussed earlier. Here the MLB should play more attention to the line splits -- when they are tight, he aligns himself closer to the LOS.  The one that the Center does a little differently is the block-back. This will be the toughest read to make. When the C blocks back, his eyes are on the nearest lineman. What must be done here by the MLB is to step forward to the side of the initial helmet movement, then look for the Guards. They will show a veer or pull. Then he has to shuffle and press the open gap.

An inside trap. The ball is meant to go up the gut and can be run tighter or right at the 3. The 3 should step down the LOS and the MLB comes around behind him.

Basic sweep blocking. The center blocks back on the 2i and MIKE steps initially with him, then attacks the strong A.

However he can also pull out on the various forms of the sweep that teams like to use in the spread. In the below clip of Clemson vs. NTexas, you can watch the LB reacting to the Center pull and he shuffles as he is supposed to, but doesn't get into a gap.

NT is playing an EVEN front, and if this was the Over, the MLB would be looking for a Veer block from the RT attempting to seal him off or the WR attempting to crack him. In the above clip the DE is cracked and the playside OT pulls out and up with C and backside T pulling. In Even front stems and situations, the MLB often just plays both A-gaps, but that can vary with stunts that are common when aligning this way.

Center pulls out, MLB shuffles outside, expecting the OT to come off to seal him inside. He goes over the top and shadows the Center.

On pass plays, reading the Center is even easier than the Guard. You know instantly what the Center is doing.

A defining trait of the best MLBs in this type of front is their intensity. To play this type of scheme he does not have to be the fastest guy on the field, but he has to be the meanest. Ray Lewis is the best modern example of this position described above, but the technique that Judge Davis once played is not that dissimilar.

The second set of keys to go through is how linebackers read the running back on the snap. Recall we said that the RB key is the simplest read to make, but that OL keys are truer reads. The concept behind going with just RB reads is because its easiest to teach and simplifies the scheme, and lets faster players attack and be aggressive. Its not something you can give to all 3 linebackers, and giving the MLB only a RB key is not wise. Its also going to cause problems when you face a heavy play-action team because the LBs will come up nearly every time the ball fake is made.

In 2-back schemes, the LB with the RB key focuses on the nearest back to him, or with the I-formation/Pistol the tailback. The reaction is made based on the path the RB takes on the snap.

RB Inside path - LB attacks his primary gap. If its the MLB in the Under, he goes straight to the B-gap. If its the WLB, he goes to the weak A-gap. He reacts exactly like the down block guard read. 

RB Outside path - LB shuffles and reads his primary gap for a threat. If his primary gap is open, he can charge through the gap. If the gap is closed due to a Veer block, he immediately shuffles because the DE is supposed to now cover his B gap (block down step down rule), and the LB switches with him to take the C-gap. If its the option, he has to hit the QB.

Full flow (both backs) away - LB shuffles to the flow, but must stay on the outside hip of the RB in the backfield to prevent the cutback. If the backside linebacker crosses the RB's face, the cutback lane is wide open. Learning this discipline is probably one of the toughest things for a freshman linebacker playing this one-gap technique. Notice the MLB below has not crossed the HB.

For two-gapping, the LB cannot just shuffle. He must attack his away gap directly. He steps laterally once, then crosses over and charges that gap. If the MLB above is 2-gapping, he jumps into the weak A gap immediately. He must be aware that the Center can come off the scoop block or that a Guard may be coming off a double-team block to hit him and seal off the backside. If the away gap is open, he takes it. If its closed (like a toss sweep outside), he shuffles around to the first gap that is open.

Full flow to - LB attacks his primary gap.

Pass -  if the RB shows block, or pulls out late for a route, the LB responds with his normal coverage. In some schemes he is told to "stack", or sit on the RB. Stacking is the smart play against a team that has a skilled receiver that likes to send him out late.  If the LB hasn't taken a big drop (in zone) then he can respond to the late release. In matchup zone stacking is common, and the LB stacks until another receiver enters his zone. In man coverage, the stacking linebacker is basically the Robber.

What we’ll explain next is how they read the blockers in front of them to decide how to defend the gap they are assigned. We’ll treat MIKE as a single-gap player first and explain it from his perspective, since he is over an uncovered guard and can read his blocks easier than WILL can read his guard.

As we said in the last article, OL give the best reads, 6’3 300lb linemen can rarely trick you about where they’re going. Short 200lb backs that run 4.5 can.

There are dozens of words I’ve come across in what to call a particular type of block or block scheme over the years, but there are only so many directions an OL can go. The staff will drill around 8 different paths the OLman can take:

• Base
• Reach
• Frontside Pull
• Backside Pull
• Pass/Draw
• Down-Angle
• Veer
• Scoop

Base Blocks – OG heads straight ahead.

Easy to read and diagnose. The MLB can spot this one and attack the blocker from the outside-in, that’s why he plays 30, so he has outside leverage on the snap.  He heads into him with his inside shoulder, keeping the outside arm free. It should be easy to set his base properly here. He should expect the ball to come towards him and when it goes to his outer half he pushes off the OG. He has help to the inside and behind him inside (WLB and the S), so its critical he not let the RB get outside of him.

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This blog was long enough that I needed to split it up, so look for the second part later today.

In the last post we talked about reading offensive linemen as the keys in what tells a LB what to do and where to go on a particular play. Each LB is assigned a primary gap to control. Every gap must have someone over it, or assigned to it, for the defensive front to be sound. In some defensive schemes the DL can have single-gap responsibilities while a LB has 2-gap. There is a difference between the assignments of a 2-gap vs 1-gap linebacker, but in some fronts a single linebacker may be a 2-gapper when the other linebacker(s) are 1-gap players.

In both the 4-3 Under and Over fronts, it is common to assign 1-gap responsibilities to the OLBs and the MLB, but you can assign and teach it a different way, making it a 2-gap assignment for one or more of the linebackers. This stuff depends on the coach and his background and preference. In my mind, the OLBs are one-gap players, but the MIKE is a 1-gap assignment that has to play like a 2-gapper.

MIKE is the one ‘backer in a 4-3 who has to be your prototype LB, if you can get one in recruiting, who is both an excellent hitter and an intelligent football player. He should be the leader of the defensive unit and he should bring the pain on any play run inside. Sometimes he has to cover for a weaker player beside him, be it from youth or lack of talent, and his one-gap assignment on paper turns into a 2-gap.

What I diagram here for the MIKE is an Under front definition, and we’ll note some differences with the Over. A 3-4 defense would be no different in what we discuss except for alignments. All alignment techniques for linebackers add a "0" to the standard defensive line numbering, so a LB that plays directly behind the head-up NG is playing a 00-tech. If he’s behind the 3-tech DT, he’s playing a 30, etc. All LBs are, except by specific scheme or gameplan, to align 4-4.5 yards off the ball.

In the Under, the MIKE aligns unprotected over the frontside guard in a 30-technique alignment. WILL is to the backside of the TE (or run strength, sometimes there is a difference) playing behind the 3-technique DT in either a 20 or 30-technique. SAM plays frontside off the TE, on the LOS or slightly off (if he’s a smaller guy or inexperienced), in a 7 or 9 technique in a 2-pt stance. This is diagrammed below.

As you can see, the "bubbles" (uncovered gaps) here are 2 in the Under – and one is pretty small. There is an uncovered gap on the frontside guard’s right hand, the B-gap or frontside 3-gap, whichever you wish to call it. MIKE’s job is to cover that gap, so he aligns in a 3-technique at 4-4.5 yds depth, a 30. WILL needs to be able to get outside on weakside run plays, but is responsible for the uncovered A-gap (the small bubble), so he can be pushed wide to a 30 or pulled in a step to play 20.

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Now that the fundamentals of the job have been covered, we're going to go into an outline of how to play the position and what they look for in players. After that, based on feedback, we'll go into some specifics of various defensive schemes.

First though, you have to know what the linebacker is actually looking at when he lines up. Where he lines up is based on the front call, and each scheme will have a set of fronts that they predominantly run, but the offensive players are what he looks at once he knows where to stand and most of the time those don't change. The "Key" is simply the offensive player(s) that a defender watches pre-snap and just afterwards.

There are 3 types of keys that LBs look at:

• RB - fastest key, easiest to teach but highly susceptible to play-action & misdirection offenses
• Offensive linemen - slower developing, hard to teach but is almost never wrong
• Triangle Key - OL + RB + Snap of Ball itself, a combination of the other two

It used to be that you had more practice time in college football. Danny Ford would drill his offensive linemen all night long until they got a particular play correct, but now you have a couple hours of field time and thats all. Thanks to this cut in practice time, fundamentals end up lacking because as a coach you have to cover the same amount of material in 2 hours that you used to cover in 3 or 4. Linebackers of 30 years ago used more offensive line keys, which rarely lie, and had better fundamentals even if their speed or strength isn't what it is in college football today.

Now as a coach you don't have the time required to drill and teach all the things the linemen do to your linebackers, so more and more coaches go to simple back keys for fast flow. Whichever way the RB goes, if he is your key, you go.

Triangle keys are a combination set, meaning you watch the nearest Offensive Guard or Tackle, then try to follow the back and where the ball is going when you decide to begin your steps forward. Its a little safer against Play-action but it'll still fool you every so often. If you can teach this one, and have players with good instincts, its a great way to go as a compromise. With offenses adjusting block schemes in spread offenses to confuse and misdirect, it may be the only way to go.

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