The Bodda Getta

Ellis Johnson defense/philosophy is a 4-2-5 defense. That is, four down linemen, 2 linebackers, and 5 defensive backs. Normally this would be called a nickel formation, but for reasons we will see, this isn't really a nickel defense.

The primary difference is that the fifth defensive back is more of a linebacker/strong safety hybrid than a typical nickel back. In a typical nickel scheme, the extra defensive back either plays a deep zone or covers the slot receiver one-on-one. In Ellis Johnson's scheme, the "spur" plays much more of a run-support/blitzing/underneath-coverage role than a nickel back.

So, in many ways you could call this defense a 4-2-1-4 defense: four down linemen, two linebackers, one spur, and four true defensive backs.

The most common defensive play-call in this formation has the four down linemen attacking the line of scrimmage and the two linebackers playing primarily run-support roles and covering backs out of the backfield. The "spur" covers the short/intermediate middle of the field in a zone defense, the two corners play zone schemes on the outside, and the two safeties play a two-deep zone.

1. We havent had a MLB since Travis Williams who could run the tampa 2 so I would call Chizik's philosiphy a deep cover 2 zone oriented defense as opposed to the tampa 2.
2. Ellis Johnson's defense more resembles Joe Lee Dunn's old dogback defense from his MSU days or John Tunuta's defense.
3. Roof's defense is similar to Muschamps playing press man on the edges and blitzing.