Breaking Down The Aggies' 3-4 Defense: Strong Safety

In the 3-4 defense, the Strong Safety (SS) is your enforcer. The SS is a head-hunting athlete who brings devastating punishment in the running game, but is athletic enough to cover WRs and TEs in the passing game. If the RB or FB manages to make it past the DL and LBs, the SS is the man responsible for bringing him down. In the passing game, the SS is usually called on to cover slot receivers, or the #2 receiving option for the QB. For this reason, the SS needs to be both quick and fast, someone who is capable of running stride for stride with the fastest WRs on the opposing offense. Your ideal strong safety would also be built a little heavier than CBs; he would be someone who might be playing LB if he was 15-20 lbs heavier. A good SS will also have the aggressive nature of a LB, wanting to hit anything that moves.

In a 3-4 defense, the SS may be aligned closer to the line of scrimmage (LOS) than in other defenses. In R.C. Slocum's 44 Cover 3 base 3-4 set, the SS was in the box covering the strongside, giving the defense an 8-man front to shut down the running game. Against 21 and 22 personnel, the SS will align closer to the LOS because the RCB, LCB, and Free Safety are more than capable of covering two WRs in Cover 3. In DeRuyter's 3-4 scheme, we will be using the zone blitz more, so the SS will get plenty of chances to hammer the opposing QB, and make his life miserable. Bringing pressure with the zone blitz should also increase the chances for interceptions for our whole secondary, so there is hope an effective scheme will increase the number of turnovers we force in 2010. Against teams who use 10 or 11 personnel a lot, the SS will be called on in pass coverage a lot. For this reason, in the Big 12 today, you are willing to give up some size against the run game for coverage ability in the passing game.

We have a few candidates for the SS position in our 3-4 defense.

Trent Hunter, Jr, 5'10, 187 lbs

Hunter made second team All-Big 12 in 2009 in a season in which I thought he underachieved. Hunter led the Aggies with 95 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and 3 passes defended on the season. When a safety leads your defense in tackles, you have problems, and we had problems in 2009; that is why we are changing schemes for the new season. In a more aggressive 3-4 scheme under DeRuyter, there will be more chances for Hunter to make plays, and I think he can become the all-conference and All-American player he ultimately has the potential to be.

Colton Valencia, So, 5'10, 190 lbs

Valencia played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totalling 3 tackles on the year in limited action as Hunter's backup and on special teams. I don't expect Valencia to compete to take Hunter's starting spot, because Hunter is just that good of a player, but he does give us a capable backup ont he depth chat.

Stephen Campbell, So, 6'0, 195 lbs

Campbell also appeared in all 13 games last season as a true freshman. A backup to Jordan Pugh at free safety, Campbell started against Oklahoma State when Pugh missed the game due to injury. Campbell had 25 tackles on the season, half a sack, and one pass defensed on the year. I expect Campbell to compete for a spot at Free Safety now that Pugh is gone, but he might get into the mix at SS, too.

Ultimately, I expect to see Hunter as our starter and Valencia as his backup on the depth chart when the season begins, but this is a position to watch in our 3-4 scheme.