Historically speaking, figuring out where everyone lines up on the field in a video game based on American football has never been a difficult prospect. For years, we’ve known that “QB” means quarterback, “LB” means linebacker, and so on. But, as the sport has evolved, so too has the strategy, opening up spots for more situational roles. College Football 26 captures this perfectly and has a ton of roles that the casual football fan might not be aware of.
We’ve gone over some of these positions in the past, like the GAD (gadget) player, an offensive specialist who can play a multitude of positions within certain offensive packages. But there are plenty more beyond that.
Here’s a list of all of the situational positions in College Football 26 and what role they play on the field. Also, if you’re looking for even more in-depth explanations on these positions, our very own Chase Becotte did one of these explainer guides for CFB 25.
College Football 26 Situational Position Guide and Explainer
In College Football 26, all of the new position designations are on the defensive side of the ball. If you’ve gone through your team’s depth chart, you’ve likely seen the terms: LEDG, REDG, MIKE, SAM, and WILL. Here is what each of them is, what they do, and why they’re named as such.
LEDG/REDG: If you’ve watched enough football over the years, you’ve likely heard the term “edge rusher” before. This is what an LEDG or a REDG is. To put it simply, LEDG/REDG can refer to either a defensive end or an outside linebacker — think of a player like T.J. Watt or Myles Garrett. However, in College Football 26, these designations refer almost exclusively to defensive ends, with the “L” and the “R” in the position name simply referring to which side of the offensive line they’re on.
MIKE/SAM/WILL: When opening CFB 26, some players who have been buying football video games for years might notice that positions such as “middle linebacker” or “outside linebacker” are oddly not present. That’s because the terminology has changed just a bit over the last few years. These days, instead of a middle linebacker, the term “MIKE” is used. Conversely, “SAM” and “WILL” are outside linebackers, with the SAM being on the strong side (or the right of the offensive line) and the WILL being on the weak side (the left). So, why these terms? To put it simply, it saves time by using the NATO phonetic alphabet. Instead of spewing out “you’re on the outside, to the right of the o-line”, you say a quick word.
Outside of these, there aren’t any other new situational positions in CFB 26, as all of the others were present last year. However, here’s a quick rundown and summary of each. If you want to go more in-depth with these, check out Chase’s piece from last year.
3DRB: A 3DRB is a third-down running back, typically a bigger guy who can fight for every inch in short-yardage situations. However, as Chase pointed out last year, 3DRBs aren’t exclusive to third-down situations, instead being more specific to either the Shotgun or Pistol formations.
PWBH: A PWHB is a power halfback, a running back that will typically be run in the Goal Line or I-Form Wing packages. Some teams make extensive use of this, while others elect to simply use their primary running back for these situations.
SLWR: The SLWR is a slot receiver, a wide receiver who lines up between a primary/secondary receiver and the offensive line. These players are often tasked with running shorter routes to open up WR1 and WR2 for deeper routes down the field.
RLE/RRE/RDT: Used within Nickel and Dime formations in CFB 26, these positions describe left and right ends, as well as a defensive tackle, with the first “R” standing for “rush”.
SUBLB: A SUBLB is a substitute linebacker, which is basically used to describe a player who lines up at linebacker in the aforementioned Nickel and Dime formations along with the RLE/RRE/RDT. Basically, they play in formations where there are no less than 5 defensive backs on the field.
SLCB: In CFB 26, an SLCB is a slot cornerback. This is pretty much the exact same as a slot receiver, except on defense — they’re guarding the receiver in the slot.
