The 4-3 defense or the 3-4

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What do you football fans think of each defense? I played outside linebacker in high school so I personally prefer the 3-4 because it allows a lot of flexibility in with the 4 linebackers who can cover more ground faster than most linemen can. As long as the defensive ends can keep containment on the QB I personally think that extra linebacker in the backfield is enough to keep most of the backfield covered between the 4 LBs there....you can also do all kinds of blitzes and stunts with those personal since defensive ends are generally the most athletic players on the field and linebackers are generally fast and big, whereas in the 4-3 you have to big DT's who you cant really rely on to do a twist fast enough or to slip into coverage. Of course each defense has its merits but what do you all think?

I've heard that the 3-4 provides more mobility, and at least as far as college football goes that's pretty important, especially with the recent trends of the spread offense and dual-threat quarterbacks. I think as a lot of offenses start to "blend" positions (stuff like the Wildcat formation) defenses will start to adapt with that same hybrid mentality, and I think the 3-4 is better-equipped to do that.

I'm pretty excited to see what GT's defense is going to look like next season despite a second straight year of losing our best players.

Depends on your personnel. In the pros, the OLBs are essentially hybrid defensive ends so that on passing downs you're running a modified 4-3 from a 3-4 set. I do like the flexibility of the 3-4 even though your dependent on having a NG that can hold the point of attack. Like Pat said, in college you're seeing 3-4/nickel hybrids to counteract spread offenses that bring more speed and quick strike capability onto the field. Still, there is nothing like a pair of dominant DT's to create havoc and take an offense out of its game plan.