Sam Siefkes - A New Hokie Defensive Approach

Sam Siefkes.......WHO?! Let's take a look at what to expect from Siefkes and the influence behind what his defensive scheme might look like Blacksburg.

Before diving into what makes Siefkes such an interesting hire, it’s important to look into his coaching path and the scheme influence that he will certainly bring to Blacksburg. I’ll preface by saying I was fortunate enough to cut my teeth in the coaching game as a lowly student assistant at VMI. I was attached to the hip of the OL coach and the offensive staff doing all the typical G.A grunt work I could since VMI did not have Graduate Assistants. When I first read about the hire, I thought Siefkes name rang a bell.

Going back through my Offensive Scout Book I was unfortunately able to vividly recall all of Siefkes’ Stunts, Coverage Disguises, and Blitz Packages from his time calling defense at Wofford. In 2018, Wofford beat the Keydets 59-14 down in Spartanburg, SC large in part due to Siefkes’ 3-4 Defense shutting down our Air Raid Attack.

Siefkes mastered his Wofford 3-4 defensive structure during his G.A stint at Wisconsin, learning under then Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda. Whether you know it or not, Dave Aranda is one of the more influential defensive coaches in the football world since the Spread Offense really started taking hold. Aranda is often credited as the main pillar behind the “Tite Front” 3-4 defense, a base defensive structure that can be seen everywhere today from the NFL to High School defenses. Aranda brought this structure to the SEC winning the 2019 National Championship as LSU Defensive Coordinator, then to Baylor where he is Head Coach today. Fast forward to today’s game, you will see the 3-4 Tite Front defense used by defensive coordinators across all levels of football…. and I promise every one of them has a Dave Aranda Tite Front Clinic somewhere in their files. In the coaching world other words; a household name.

Siefkes and the “Tite Front”

While most Defensive Coordinators use a combination of 3 & 4 down defensive fronts (Down meaning number of DL with their hand in the dirt), they all have a “Base” at their core. The “Base” for most coaches; always ties back to who they learned from when they began coaching. When Pry/Marve took the defensive reigns, we saw a similar defense to what Virginia Tech has been running for a while. A 4-Down Defensive Line Front consisting of (2) Defensive Ends, a Nose Tackle (1-Technique), and a Defensive Tackle (3-Technique). The back end structure has varied between Bud Foster’s traditional 4-4 Defense (which deserves its own article on its masterful intricacies) and Pry/Marve’s more traditional 4-2-5 approach, however for the most part the defensive structures have stayed very similar over the years. Makes sense considering Pry was a G.A for no other than… Bud Foster.

Siefke’s defensive structure influence follows his own roots at Wisconsin under Aranda with the 3-Down “Tite Front”. As Siefkes has ascended the coaching ranks, every stop has had a defense rooted in the Tite Front to some extent. As you can see the comparison below, the Tite Front’s Defensive Ends are not the typical edge rusher most of the time. The Defensive Ends are typically inside the Offensive Tackle, what positionally is called a “4i”.

The question remains, why use the Tite Front vs a traditional 4-Down Front?

At the time, many defensive staffs around the country were trying to crack the code of how to defend zone read offenses, while also staying sound to the vertical spread passing attack. Aranda and his staff (Siefkes included) came to the Tite Front as a great way to defend both the zone read and vertical passing attack seemingly at the same time. In thought, using 3-Down Lineman to eat up double teams up front and clog interior gaps gives the defense a +1 hybrid that can defend the run, rush the passer, or drop in coverage. In other words, an extra stand-up defender that can defend both the Run and Pass at the same time, thus making reads difficult for opposing QB’s.

Coaches use many different names to identify their hybrid OLB’s in their 3-4 Defenses. Regardless of their name, the OLB’s are critical to what makes the 3-4 Tite Front a perfect option to defend the widely popular zone read spread offenses.

Above, the OLB’s (Jack and $pur) are splitting the difference between the OT and the slot receiver. They can either drop into zone coverage or fill the C-Gap with a run thus making it much harder for opposing QB’s to know whether to pull the ball on their read or not. Against a 4-Down front, the Defensive End shows his intentions quickly coming off the line. He either bends for the RB (QB keep read) or he surfs/slow plays off the line for the QB (RB give read). In the Tite Front, there is no clear edge defender. The OLB’s have numerous options to defend the play from depth, thus making the timing and read for opposing QB’s that much harder.

While the Tite Front Base is the foundation of Siefkes influence, by no means does that equate to dropping 8 in coverage and only rushing 3 every down. The beauty of a 3-Down Tite Front is giving the defense the ability to disguise their box structure and pressures, with many rushing 5+ most downs from their 3-Down Base.

That said, since his time under Dave Aranda at Wisconsin, Siefkes has learned from many other innovators on the defensive side of the ball. Most recently, Siefkes’ time in the NFL under Mike Zimmer (Vikings) and Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals) gives us a glimpse into what to expect in Blacksburg.

Siefkes NFL Influence: Confuse and Disguise

Going back to the critical roll Outside Linebackers play in a 3-4 defense, the OLB’s are specifically crucial when it comes to disguising your defensive structure both defending the run and pass. Siefkes had a front row seat on disguising defensive looks, learning from Zimmer and Gannon. Both defensive coaches and their schemes are highly regarding in coaching circles, in that they are very difficult to prepare for offensively in short because it is hard to determine what is coming from the defense. Both Zimmer and Gannon use their OLB’s (and safeties which we will discuss later) in various ways to disguise the defensive look. For example, the Cardinals love using what is called a “Penny Front”. This is a 5-1 defensive front, in that the Jack and $pur OLB’s are walked down to the Line of Scrimmage (LOS), leaving (5) other defenders in the coverage shell pre-snap. Even though the OLB’s are walked up to the LOS, they still have the option to rush, slow play, or drop into coverage depending on the defensive play call.

For an opposing offense, pre-snap this may look like a favorable box with seemingly only 1 ILB at the second level. That is exactly how the defensive structure is supposed to be presented, offering a pre-snap look to force an offense’s hand and changing the look post-snap. Using adjustments like the Penny Front and moving OLB’s all over the field gives the offense a different pre-snap picture every down, thus making the 3-4 Tite Front adaptable to most any offensive attack. Disguise, Confuse, Capitalize.

5-1 “Penny Front” Cover 1 4-Man Pressure

Here, Gannon rolled to a Cover 1 variation from the Penny Front. Both OLB’s dropped into coverage with the Tite Front DL (4i-0-4i) rushing the QB. With both OLB’s dropping, Gannon sent his Mike LB into the A-Gap as his 4th rusher causing Mathew Stafford to tuck the ball. While the offense sees (5) defenders at the LOS, the defense can shift post-snap however they choose. They can send all 5 defenders on the LOS, drop 1-2 into coverage, or a go with a mixed bag and bring a different rusher from depth. Every possibility has to be taken into account by the offense during their preparation, once again making the defensive scheme that much harder to prepare for.

Similar “Creeper” style pressures have been on a rise across defensive football the last few years. While they are difficult to prepare for offensively, as a defense you still have to as the kids say….. strap up them dudes up.

Siefkes and the 3-High Safety Shell

The 3-high safety trend in football has also taken hold the past 5-10 years in many defensive rooms across the country. Most credit Matt Campbell at Iowa State for bringing the defensive scheme into the spotlight initially. The approach has since skyrocketed in popularity, most recently with then Ohio State DC Jim Knowles showcasing his 3-high safety approach in the National Championship Game vs Notre Dame. Much like the OLB’s are crucial in disguising the defensive box, the safeties in a 3-high safety shell are moved all around to disguise the coverage scheme.

Many hear “3-high safety shell” and think about a Deep Cover 3, Big 12 Air Raid Defense with DB’s all playing 8-10 yards off their receiver, however this is far from the case. The various coverage rolls of the 3 safeties from depth allows 1st level coverage defenders to play more physical on their receivers. Combine this with the disguised nature of the Tite Front, and you keep opposing quarterbacks guessing.

3-High Safety Tampa 2 Roll

Here, Gannon goes with a basic Tampa 2 design from a 3-high safety shell. Again, you see the Tite Front (4i-0-4i) with both OLB’s walked down to a 5-1 Penny Front. The motion side OLB ($) drops to wall off in coverage while the opposite OLB (R) rushes leaving both corners defending the flats. Normally in a standard Tampa 2, the Middle LB would be the “Pole Runner” defender spot dropping to the deep middle hook. From the 3-high shell, Gannon uses his middle safety as the deep middle hook defender to give a true Tampa 2 taking away the vertical pass.

3-High Safety Blitz Cover 2 Roll

Against the Vikings heavier personnel sets, the Cardinals chose to send pressure from the 3-high safety shell often. Budda Baker (SS) comes off the strong side edge adding to the run fit. The same side OLB ($) slanted inside to account for the extra gap created with the TE resulting in a TFL.

Judging by his mentors, Siefkes will be more than equipped to keep aggressive DB play in Blacksburg (Cody Grimm 2.0?).

Sam Siefkes: Student of the Game

In conclusion, Siefkes has learned from some of the best and most innovative coaches in the defensive game. He has proven to be an asset in the NFL coaching world and I can say first hand his scheme is difficult to prepare for.

He has successfully run his own 3-4 Tite Front Defense at Wofford, the question will be how much his NFL stops working with 3-high safety coverage shells influence the 2025-26 Virginia Tech Defense.