CFB 27 · Build your team
Build a 3-3-5 that can tackle in space
Find the linebacker, safety and front-line traits to recruit for your CFB 27 3-3-5. Compare the base book with its variants and inspect real play art.
You can put five defensive backs on the field and still give up the easy throw. Your 3-3-5 needs players who can handle their space, get to the ball and finish. Start there before you build a menu of blitzes.
Try the recruiting checklist
Pick the book. Know who to recruit.
Start with three jobs your roster needs to handle. Switch books to see what changes before you spend your recruiting hours.
Build toward 3-3-5
Build around a mix of calls and the 3-3-5 personnel menu.
SS1 / SS2Safety depth
The book's extra-safety looks need coverage range without giving up tackling. Use the formation list to check each package.
- Key attributes
- Zone coverageSpeedTackle
- Optimal Archetype:
- Hybrid · Coverage Specialist
SAM 1 / MIKE 1 / WILL 1Three mobile linebackers
The three-linebacker structure puts a premium on handling space.
- Key attributes
- SpeedZone coverageTackle
- Optimal Archetype:
- Signal Caller · Lurker · Thumper
CB1 / CB2 / CB3Coverage corners
Prioritize a mix of calls; nickel packages also make the third corner worth checking.
- Key attributes
- Man coverageZone coverageSpeed
- Optimal Archetype:
- Zone · Field
Archetypes are scouting starting points. Check the player's actual ratings and your in-game depth chart; a label alone doesn't make a player the best fit.
4 plays to get a feel for the book
Try these commonly called plays from 3-3-5. Check the offensive look, know your assignment, and see where you need help. The bars show yards allowed in our CPU games.
Cover 3 Sky
Nickel · 3-3 Odd
Before the snap: Find the offense's trips side and your curl-flat defenders. Three deep zones still need help against seams and throws underneath.
After the snap
- Protect your seam. If you user an underneath defender, watch the inside receiver release upfield before chasing a short route.
- Rally to the throw. Keep the ball in front and close after the pass. Chasing the flat too early opens the curl or crossing window behind you.
5.8 yd avg allowed
15,722 recorded attempts · CPU Dynasty simulations
Tap a bar for the count. Taller bars mean more attempts.
Held opponents to no gain or a loss on 29% of attempts. Allowed 10+ yards on 26%.
| Yards allowed | Attempts |
|---|---|
| Loss | 960 |
| 0 | 3669 |
| 1–4 | 5275 |
| 5–9 | 1786 |
| 10–19 | 2828 |
| 20+ | 1204 |
Cover 3 Match
3-4 · Tite
Before the snap: Check the edge responsibilities in this Tite front, then locate the inside receivers. The match defenders must account for their releases.
After the snap
- Stay with the release. Expect an underneath match defender to carry a vertical receiver. If you user that defender, don't abandon him just to sit in the painted zone.
- Fit the run. Confirm the handoff before leaving coverage and fill your assigned gap. Don't chase an inside fake and give away the edge.
5.3 yd avg allowed
13,872 recorded attempts · CPU Dynasty simulations
Tap a bar for the count. Taller bars mean more attempts.
Held opponents to no gain or a loss on 28% of attempts. Allowed 10+ yards on 22%.
| Yards allowed | Attempts |
|---|---|
| Loss | 821 |
| 0 | 3075 |
| 1–4 | 5253 |
| 5–9 | 1697 |
| 10–19 | 2146 |
| 20+ | 880 |
Cover 3 Match
Nickel · 3-3 Odd
Before the snap: Locate the slot receivers and your match defenders. Check for trips or a stacked release that can make the assignments harder to follow.
After the snap
- Watch the slot. Be ready for a vertical carry instead of a stationary zone drop. Keep your assigned receiver accounted for when usering underneath.
- Don't chase the bait. Let the underneath help handle a short throw until the ball comes out. Crossing routes can pull you away from the space you need to protect.
5.7 yd avg allowed
13,617 recorded attempts · CPU Dynasty simulations
Tap a bar for the count. Taller bars mean more attempts.
Held opponents to no gain or a loss on 29% of attempts. Allowed 10+ yards on 25%.
| Yards allowed | Attempts |
|---|---|
| Loss | 806 |
| 0 | 3202 |
| 1–4 | 4631 |
| 5–9 | 1532 |
| 10–19 | 2447 |
| 20+ | 999 |
Cover 4 Palms
Nickel · 3-3 Odd
Before the snap: Find each inside receiver and the corner-safety pair outside him. Quick outs and vertical releases are the combinations to watch.
After the snap
- Read the inside release. An out-breaking route can trigger a coverage exchange. Keep the outside vertical accounted for instead of sending both defenders at the short throw.
- Keep your help. If you user a safety, don't jump a short route before confirming who has the deeper receiver. Match rules and formation adjustments matter.
6.1 yd avg allowed
13,392 recorded attempts · CPU Dynasty simulations
Tap a bar for the count. Taller bars mean more attempts.
Held opponents to no gain or a loss on 29% of attempts. Allowed 10+ yards on 25%.
| Yards allowed | Attempts |
|---|---|
| Loss | 833 |
| 0 | 3106 |
| 1–4 | 4639 |
| 5–9 | 1436 |
| 10–19 | 2272 |
| 20+ | 1106 |
Now put your own players on the board.
See which players fit 3-3-5, where you need depth, and which attributes to scout next. Import your dynasty roster to turn the checklist into a plan for your team.
See how your roster fitsStart with a free selected-style report. Plus adds ongoing comparisons and deeper play research.
Don't leave your user doing everybody's job
Look at the linebackers around the player you control. Can they cover the routes their calls give them? Can they get across the formation? Speed is useful, but check the matching coverage and tackling traits too.
If you keep moving the same defender to patch a weakness, write down which role you're protecting. That's a much better recruiting target than another player who happens to have a high overall.
A lighter front still needs a run plan
Start with the defenders who have to deal with blocks before anyone can chase the ball. Then check the support behind them. A smaller front doesn't mean you can ignore the interior while recruiting more speed outside.
The 3-3-5 variants aren't just different names. A pressure-heavy book and a zone-heavy book can ask different things of your linebackers and secondary. Use the exact book's checklist below, then verify the package in-game.
Find the hole before you send another blitzer
- Start with a coverage you understand and name the space your user is protecting.
- Watch one run and one pass from the same set; check who gets blocked and who arrives late.
- Use the play samples as a shortlist to test, not a promise that the CPU average will become yours.
Still deciding on your style? Check the 4-2-5 defense recruiting plan.