West Virginia is getting the most out of Aubrey Burks at spear
West Virginia wanted to maximize the output from Aubrey Burks so the defensive coaching staff made the decision to try him at the spear position in the spring.
And the Mountaineers have realized the benefits of that decision.
“I just think it allows him to play the way he wants to play. His athleticism and his speed and those things they’re always going to show up,” coordinator Jordan Lesley said. “But Aubrey is aggressive and he’s not a see ball, hit ball but he’s way smarter than that. But it does allow him to use his football IQ and it frees him up and allows him to play free.”
Burks is still spending time at both spear and cat safety but has been able to become comfortable with what is being asked of him at both spots. The major difference between the deep safety spots and the spear is that he is closer to the line of scrimmage.
That means mixing it up more with offensive linemen and tight ends where he will need to focus on techniques such as using his hands in order to avoid getting washed up quickly. But, it does afford him the chance to do something that he hasn’t been able to show a lot in the past.
“I like to blitz,” he said.
And the coaches have seen why throughout the course of practice.
“He is just slippery. He has a knack for being slippery. He slips and slides and dips under blocks and he’s what you call a savvy football player. He understands schemes and what he’s going to get pre-snap and he’s played a lot of football,” secondary coach ShaDon Brown said.
Brown actually recruited Burks out of high school when he was at a different program and saw his ability to pass rush, dip and drive to get under blockers. That made the decision to move him there an easy one given all he can do on that front.
“That allows you to do some different things with him,” he said.
But Burks also still is seeing reps at the cat safety spot which is where he has played in the past and he has to remind himself at times of the differences in the positions and his alignment.
And depending on the opposition, Burks could slide back and the Mountaineers could get bigger by bringing a linebacker into the game closer to the line.
“Moving down at five and trying to get back in my drop. When I’m at the spear, dropping back to 10 and 12 because I’m already at five,” he said.
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