Even in today’s modern game where every high school QB can throw a ball down the field accurately, It all starts on defense with stopping the run.
If you want to stop the run, you need to be sure that every player understands their responsibilities. That includes where to line up pre-snap, and how to react as the picture changes post-snap.
Today we’re going to take a look at how Coach Tom Miller of The University of St Francis teaches his run fits out of a Cyclone Alignment, as part of this 3-Safety scheme.
Today’s article is taken directly from our newest release: “The Cyclone Defense: The Complete Series”
How This Defense Teaches Run Fits
Each linebacker has precise rules for their alignment and their fits against the run.
Here’s how Coach Miller breaks it down:
- The Sam and Will linebackers set up in 30 techniques—three and a half yards off the ball—reading the offensive guards. The Chuck, treated like a linebacker, aligns five yards off, adjusting inside or outside #2 based on the formation. Simple, consistent, and adaptable.
- Fallback Fits: The 30-tech linebackers key the guard in front of them. If the guard pulls toward them, they fall back to the A-gap.
- If the guard goes away, they slide to the B-gap.
- On slide calls—like against empty sets—the Sam shifts to a 10-tech as the frontside A-gap player, while the Will apexes #2 as the alley defender.
For example, against a tailback flowing away, the Will falls back to the A-gap behind the guard, while the Sam slides to the C-gap in a 4i front. The overhangs—like the free safety—trigger down to seal the edge, forcing the ball inside where your defense is stacked.
Get all the details and tricks you need to unlock the full potential of these zone pressure schemes with The Cyclone Defense: The Complete Series
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