5-2 Defense (Oklahoma)

Short-yardage adjustment adding a third linebacker to load the box at the goal line.

Key: An extra backer walks into the box and all defenders fire their gap low to stop the dive.

Interior linemen pinch all gaps on short-yardage downs to deny inside runs.

Key: Nose and tackles squeeze the A and B gaps while ends and backers hold the edge.

Deep-drop prevent coverage guarding against the big play late in a half.

Key: Defenders bail to deep quarters and keep all receivers in front, tackling in bounds.

Backers show pressure then drop to disguise the coverage.

Key: Linebackers creep toward the line pre-snap then bail to their hook zones at the snap.

Classic 5-2 Oklahoma front with a nose over center, two tackles, two ends, and two linebackers.

Key: Nose plays a 0-technique on the center, tackles align in 5-techniques on the tackles, and backers stack over the guards.

Base Oklahoma look with linebackers stacked behind the ends for two-gap flexibility.

Key: Nose two-gaps the center while the stacked backers read guards and flow to daylight.

The Mike linebacker blitzes downhill through the A-gap.

Key: Mike fires the open A-gap while the nose slants away to clear the interior rush lane.

The Sam linebacker blitzes through the B-gap off the tackle's hip.

Key: Sam attacks the B-gap while the tackle to that side pinches inside to open the lane.

Both linebackers blitz the A-gaps for heavy interior pressure.

Key: Both backers fire the A-gaps while the nose occupies the center and safeties rotate to the middle.

A linebacker blitzes off the edge outside the end for contain pressure.

Key: The backer attacks outside the end's shoulder keeping outside leverage to force the ball inside.

A safety blitzes off the edge or interior gap to add a rusher.

Key: The blitzing safety fires his gap while the coverage rolls to single-high behind him.

A cornerback blitzes off the edge from press coverage.

Key: The corner times the snap and rushes the edge while a safety rotates over the top to his man.

Both linebackers blitz while crossing faces to beat man protection.

Key: The two backers cross through opposite A-gaps to confuse interior blocking assignments.

Five-man pressure with a three-deep, three-under zone behind it.

Key: A backer blitzes while an end drops to cover the vacated underneath zone for a sound rush.

The nose slants to the strong-side A-gap to disrupt the center's block.

Key: The nose steps play-side into the A-gap while a backer fills the backside A-gap behind him.

The nose slants to the weak-side A-gap to jump backside runs.

Key: The nose fires the weak A-gap while the strong backer scrapes to fill the vacated gap.

Both tackles pinch from 5-techniques into the B-gaps to close inside lanes.

Key: Tackles slant off the offensive tackles' inside shoulders into the B-gaps while ends set contain.

Both ends crash inside to the C-gaps to spill off-tackle runs.

Key: Ends slant into the C-gaps while linebackers scrape over the top to take contain.

The five-man front slants right one gap to overload that side.

Key: Each down lineman steps to his right gap on the snap, shifting responsibilities one gap over.

The five-man front slants left one gap to jump runs that way.

Key: Each lineman steps left on the snap while backers flow to fill vacated gaps behind the slant.

The nose and a tackle exchange gaps to beat interior combo blocks.

Key: The nose penetrates the A-gap first while the tackle loops behind into the vacated inside gap.

Oklahoma front with three-deep zone coverage behind it.

Key: Both corners and the free safety split the deep thirds while backers and safety cover underneath zones.

Oklahoma front with two safeties splitting the deep halves.

Key: Safeties cover deep halves while corners jam and sink and linebackers cover the middle hooks.

Man coverage with a single free safety over the top of the Oklahoma front.

Key: Corners and backers match man-to-man while the free safety plays deep-middle center field.

All-out man coverage with no deep help for maximum blitz support.

Key: Every receiver is matched man-to-man freeing both safeties to blitz or rob the middle.

Three-deep zone with the strong safety rotating down to the flat.

Key: Strong safety covers the strong flat while free safety and both corners defend the deep thirds.

Two deep safeties over underneath man coverage.

Key: Corners and backers play man-to-man while both safeties bracket the deep halves over the top.

Four-deep zone dividing the deep field into quarters for passing downs.

Key: Corners and safeties each cover a deep quarter and read keys to trigger downhill on run.