Iowa State defenders offer advice for Oklahoma State players learning 3-3-5 defense

The Oklahoman
ARLINGTON, Texas — T.J. Tampa has one key piece of advice for Oklahoma State football players learning the 3-3-5 defense new coordinator Bryan Nardo has brought to Stillwater.
“Know where your help is,” said Tampa, who plays cornerback for Iowa State.
Cyclone linebacker Gerry Vaughn had the same suggestion, noting the importance of understanding the individual responsibilities of players around you in the unique defensive scheme.
Over the last six months, the Cowboys have been deep in the learning process to pick up the intricacies of the 3-3-5. The guys at Iowa State know the challenge it brings.
Back in 2017, when he was the defensive coordinator at Division II Emporia State, Nardo made a trip to Ames, Iowa, for a meeting with the Cyclone defensive staff, where he learned their scheme.
He took it back to Emporia and over the past six years has melded it into his own system. But the basics are rooted in what Iowa State has used to become one of the most consistent defenses in the Big 12 under head coach Matt Campbell and defensive coordinator Jon Heacock.
Oklahoma State safety Kendal Daniels (5) and the rest of the Cowboy defenders are deep in the learning process of the 3-3-5 defense, which new coordinator Bryan Nardo initially learned from the Iowa State staff.
From a player perspective, the Cowboys will face a learning curve this year, according to the Iowa State defenders who discussed the process during Big 12 Media Days earlier this month.
None of the three — Vaughn, Tampa or safety Beau Freyler — had run the 3-3-5 before arriving at Iowa State.
“It’s an interesting defense, but I like it,” said Vaughn, who plays the outside linebacker role that will belong to Collin Oliver at OSU. “Coming in as a freshman, you’re trying to figure everything out, kind of a deer in the headlights.”
Tampa’s personal challenge was unique, because he had been a receiver in high school, rarely stepping onto the defensive side of the ball. So he was learning how to be a cornerback while also trying to pick up the defensive scheme.
“At first, everything’s complicated,” Tampa said. “As a corner, you gotta know all the coverages. You gotta know where everybody is supposed to be. But once you get it, you get it. And once you feel comfortable out there, it comes easy.”
Oklahoma State cornerback Korie Black is learning the new role of defensive backs in the 3-3-5 defense.
With safeties and linebackers, versatility is the biggest asset. As the middle safety, Freyler might be taking on interior offensive linemen in linebacker-style run coverage one snap, then be in man coverage on a speedy slot receiver the next. Linebackers can have many of the same responsibilities, along with rushing the passer.
“We might be lined up on the edge. We might be dropping back in zone coverage,” Vaughn said. “We have a lot of different run fits. We’re kind of all over the field. You have to be able to cover in zone, you have to be able to rush, you have to be able to cover man-to-man on a running back.”
In more traditional defenses, linebackers’ coverage responsibilities are limited. But Vaughn says the complexity of a linebacker’s duties in the 3-3-5 are far more diverse and one of the biggest challenges for that position.
“You gotta know where your help is,” he said. “Know where your drops are, know where the safety’s gonna be at, where the corner’s gonna be at. Know where your immediate support is at, and be aware of them at all times.”
The three safety positions are the most unique, as compared to traditional defenses, because they’re central in the ability to disguise the defense’s calls and coverages.
“It’s a lot of calls, it’s a lot of checks,” said Freyler, the middle safety, which will be Kendal Daniels’ spot at OSU. “For about the first year, it’s a big learning process. For my position, you’re involved a lot in the run fit, so you gotta be able to play the run, know which gap you fit into, be versatile, be able to play zone coverage and man coverage as well.
“It’s a collective effort with the DBs. We all operate on a string in the back end. You all have to work together, mesh together.”