Exree Loe seeing results, contending for starting job after switch from CB

If you told a freshman Exree Loe that he’d spend his fourth year on campus contending for a starting linebacker spot, he might have called you a liar.

Coming out of Johnstown (Pa.) High School, Loe committed to West Virginia in the class of 2017 as a cornerback — a position that matched up with his 6-foot, 171-pound frame. Entering his redshirt junior season, he’s now 218 pounds and is the favorite to start at WILL linebacker this fall.

Loe’s transformation all started with a conversation with former defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, who recognized the athleticism and skill set the young player brought to Morgantown.

“He said ‘I think your way on the field is becoming a backer’ and just me, being a young guy, I just wanted to get on the field and finally experience and find out what it’s like to play on this level,” Loe said. “That’s something I committed myself to and just went after it.”

Getting himself into game shape was easier said than done. Perhaps most importantly, Loe needed to ditch his rail thin frame and become a much greater physical presence.

“[It took] I want to say about six months to really get my weight up, cause I was only 200 pounds,” Loe said. “They wanted me at 215, 218 so I would have to eat consistently. It probably took me a good three to six months to get there where I need to be.”

On the field however, the transition wasn’t as difficult. While Loe continued to learn a new position, he had already learned many of the coverage skills needed to play outside linebacker, making his move (with a quick stop as a safety in between) much less harrowing.

Yet, he was no longer at the back of the defense, and that alone came with major adjustments.

“It’s a lot less space than what I was used to, I wasn’t used to covering backs coming out of the backfield and how they run their routes,” Loe said. “In high school, I would follow the main receiver; I’d man him up the whole time, I wouldn’t be in zone [coverage]. It was a lot different making that transition.

“I would say, physicality-wise, it was a big difference cause at corner you really don’t get the action,” Loe also said. “You don’t see linemen and tight ends and stuff. Coming in the box, linemen are on your feet fast so it’s a lot different. It was a hard transition at first.”

Loe has seemingly mastered that transition. He totaled 40 tackles in 2019, his first year with regular action at linebacker, before turning in 46 last season — good for sixth on the team.

His effort made a strong impression on head coach Neal Brown. After Tony Fields left for the NFL, Josh Chandler-Semedo was shifted inside to the MIKE spot, placing Loe in prime position to claim a starting spot headed into 2021.

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