Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof is having his defense play in a 4-3 alignment during spring practice not for reasons of strategy but experience. With his defense heavy at linebacker, playing the 4-3 instead of the nickel defense enables him to give more turns to his 11 linebackers. In a nickel, only two linebackers would be on the field.
“We’ve got more bodies there, and I want to get those guys reps on tape, and see how it goes,” Roof said Monday following the team’s fifth session of spring practice.
It is particularly important given how inexperienced most of the group is.