re: Could someone with knowledge explain what exactly the star position entails?

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yep, football is not a complex or complicated sport, but they’re always conjuring up new terms for old ones trying to make it sound like this is a dynamic, highly technical sport

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The tush push is the worst. I cringe, when anyone things says that.

It is a damn quarterback sneak!!!

Drop Linebacker

When I was a kid, and a lot of schools ran a 5-2 "Oklahoma" defense, they called it a rover, but some schools dressed it up a little. Michigan called it the Wolfman, Penn State called it the Hero.

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Could someone with knowledge explain what exactly the star position entails?

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The first rule of football nomenclature is that there is no standard for football nomenclature. Most terms have an accepted meaning, but not all of them. Different coaches can use terms in different ways. You can talk to ten coaches and they will agree on 95% of the football terms. But you'll get disagreement on the rest. You'll even get disagreement on generally accepted terms, like what is the difference between a defensive end and an outside linebacker.

Nearly every offense in college football has a single back. It's not just the "death of the fullback." Lots of teams run a zone read offense which requires only a single back. Lots of teams run a spread offenses which necessitates a single back. Tight ends get split out. There are fewer people in the box for the offense.

Obviously, with fewer players in the box on offense, there are more players outside of the box on offense.

"Six in the Box"

Nearly every college defense runs a 4-2 or a 3-3 in the box on most downs. Four linemen with two linebackers or three lineman with three linebackers. The difference between those two defenses is frequently negligible: how many hands in the dirt, how much two-gap responsibility, how heavy are the four heaviest players. That accounts for six defensive players and leaves five defensive players.

"Five out of the Box"

Nearly every college defense still use four defensive backs. That leaves one defensive player.

"Nickelback"

Some teams run a 3-3-5 or a 4-2-5, using a fifth defensive back typically called a nickelback. Bear in mind that these teams typically use FIVE defensive backs. The "5" in "3-3-5" or a "4-2-5" really means five defensive backs.

On obvious passing situations, some teams will sub a lineman or a linebacker for a sixth defensive back.

"Overhang Defender"

The "star" position is used with a defense that Kirby Smart likes to use. Smart starts with a 4-2 defense: Four lineman and two linebackers. He also uses four defensive backs, and as mentioned, that leaves one extra player. While Saban will always be associated with the 3-4 defense; he shifted to using the "star" position too.

Saban and Smart call that extra player an "overhang" defender. In their defense, the overhang defender is call the Star. Both Saban and Smart would LOVE to have two overhang defenders, but with six in the box and four defensive backs, Saban and Smart can only have one overhang defender.

They are NOT linebackers. They are FAR more like a THIRD safety. Indeed, they are players who are almost universally categorized as safeties in college and high school.

They are very much like box safeties in that they do NOT line up deep off the line of scrimmage. They are almost always close to the line of scrimmage, within seven yards of the line or less. They just don't typically play in the box.

The star is not assigned to the weak side. The Star is usually tasked with covering a TE. Indeed, in Saban's defense, the Star usually replace the SAM linebacker.

Coverages are so multiple these days, that it is pointless to attempt to describe the Star's coverage responsibilities. If the Star has a man coverage responsibility on a particular play, the Star typically covers the inside most receiver, typically the slot or inside slot receiver.

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The star position, also known as the "Will" linebacker

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Ehh its actually the Sam, the Nickle Sam position.

The Will and Mike stay in during the nickle package and the Sam comes off the field. We are using Perk in the nickle role as the Nickle/Sam linebacker hybrid instead of a traditional Nickle corner or 3rd safety.