Lesley Explains Reasoning Behind Aubrey Burks' Position Change

WVU defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley talks about moving one of his best players closer to the action.

Schuyler Callihan | Aug 4, 2024

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

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West Virginia Mountaineers

Over the first three years of his career, West Virginia's Aubrey Burks made a name for himself at free safety. Heading into his last go-around with the Mountaineers, you'll see No. 2 lining up a little closer to the line of scrimmage at spear. This is something the coaching staff toyed with back in the spring, but didn't fully commit to the move until they saw what they had personnel-wise and if it was a good fit for Burks.

Burks did his part, showing his ability to impact the game more by being closer to the action and West Virginia's coaching staff did their part by retooling the secondary with a bunch of experienced transfers to allow the move to take place.

“I think it allows him to play the way he wants to play," defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said. "Obviously, his athleticism and his speed and those things, they’re always going to show up but Aubrey’s aggressive. I don’t want to say see ball, hit ball because Aubrey’s way way smarter than that. But it does allow him to use his football IQ and it frees him up. It allows him to play very free and I think that helps his game. His body type, that helps his future and it’s good for us.”

The spear position is one West Virginia has had a hard time getting consistent, high-level play out of since this staff arrived in 2019. Burks will give them that, plus the ability to shift back to safety at times, if needed.

“It’s not really based on personnel," said Lesley when asked if Burks will only play spear. "It’s based on hey, let’s knock the dust off on some of the back safety things every couple of days to make sure we don’t get too far removed from that incase we were to have to do that and Aubrey understands that.”

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