3-3-5 Man Defense

12 formations across 5 groupings.

The 3-3-5 Man defense playbook in College Football 27 has 12 formations across 5 families: 3-4 (1), 3-3-5 (4), Nickel (5), Dime (1), Prevent (1). Together they run 174 plays (91 unique). Nickel is the largest group with 5 formations. Click any formation to see its plays with play art, switch to Diagrams for pre-snap alignments, and use the shift viewer to watch same-personnel formations morph into each other.

Every play in the 3-3-5 Man Defense playbook

3-4 — 1 formation, 15 plays

3-4 Odd (15 plays)

Cover 1 Hole, Cover 1 Robber, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 3 Sky Wk, Cover 4 Drop Show 2, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Crash Blitz 3, Cross 3 Fire, Pinch Buck 0, Saw Blitz 1, Ss 2 Trap, Storm Brave 1, Tampa 2

3-3-5 — 4 formations, 57 plays

3-3-5 Odd Ghost (15 plays)

Cover 1 Dbl Hook, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 2 Man, Cover 2 Tampa, Cover 2 Tampa Drop, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 3 Sky Drop, Cover 6, Hot Blitz 3, LB Blitz 0, Mid Blitz 1, Mike Will 3, Saw Blitz 1, Tampa Sim Pressure

3-3-5 Over Flex (18 plays)

1 Double Wr1, Cover 1 Hole, Cover 1 LB Blitz, Cover 1 Ss Blitz, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Buzz Match, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Drop Field, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 9, Edge Blitz 0, Hot Blitz 3, Nickel Sim 3, Over 3 Sting, Tampa 2

3-3-5 Penny (15 plays)

3 Sam Will Blitz, Corner Blitz 2, Cover 1 Robber, Cover 3 Buzz, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover Hole 1, Double Double, Hot Blitz 3, Mike Blitz 0, Mike Blitz 1, Saw Blitz 1, Slot Blitz 3, Tampa 2

3-3-5 Split (9 plays)

Cover 1 Ss Blitz, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Double Edge Blitz, Fire Zone 3, Hot Blitz 3, Inside Blitz, Zone Blitz

Nickel — 5 formations, 78 plays

Nickel 2-4 Dbl Mug (9 plays)

Buck Zone Blitz, Cover 1 Hole, Cover 2, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Mid Blitz, Nickel 2 Trap, Nickel Dog 3 Buzz, Nickel Overload 3

Nickel 2-4 Load (18 plays)

0 LB Cross Games, 1 Double Wr1, 1 LB Cross Games, Cover 1 Robber, Cover 1 Robber Press, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Buzz Match, Cover 3 Cloud, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 6 Willie, Double Bracket, LB 3 Seam Games, Overload 3 Seam, Tampa 2

Nickel 2-4 Load Mug (12 plays)

Blitz Loop Sim 3, Cover 1 LB Blitz, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 6, Cover 6 Willie, Hot Blitz 3, LB Blitz 0, LB DE Twist 3, Nickel Blitz 1, Tampa 2

Nickel 3-3 Mint (18 plays)

1 Double Wr1, 1 Double Wr2, Cover 1 Robber Press, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Buzz Match, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 6 Willie, LB Cross 3 Show 2, Nickel 2 Trap, Overload 3 Sky Press, Pinch 0, Sam Mike 1, Sam Mike 3 Press, Tampa 2

Dime — 1 formation, 21 plays

Prevent — 1 formation, 3 plays

Prevent 3 Deep (3 plays)

Cover 3, Man 3 Deep, Prevent

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