Dontae Wright on Aubrey Burks: ‘He’s an Extension of the Coaching Staff’

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – It would be tough for the expectations of Aubrey Burks to be any higher. And while receiving national recognition is a big reason many are expecting Burks to be an All-Big 12 type player in 2023, there’s no one who believes in him more than his position coach Dontae Wright.

With the season less than two weeks away, Wright found himself once again praising his star safety. At the start of the spring period, Wright said Burks has NFL potential and can be as good as he wants to be. He then put the preverbal ball in Burks’ hands and left it up to his star player to show him he can truly be elite.

WVU’s Dontae Wright waxes poetic on Aubrey Burks again, saying he’s done everything asked of him and is able to figure out offensive tells etc. He says Burks is acting like a pro now.

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) August 21, 2023

Now months later and with the season fast approaching, Wright was asked about how Burks has progressed and what he means to the secondary. “He’s an extension of the coaching staff. Not only is he leading himself and holding himself accountable, but he’s bringing other players in other position groups along with him, too,” Wright said about Burks becoming a leader for the entire team, not just the defense.

Wright said that Burks has done everything anyone has asked of him and “is preparing himself to be a professional right now.” To that end, Wright said Burks is one of the first players at the facility every day and has developed such a strong IQ that extends far beyond just knowing the plays of the defense. Burks has now reached a level of intelligence that allows him to figure out tells of the offense and instantly adapt.

When a player knows what his teammates are supposed to be doing as well as his own job, that’s when Wright feels the game gets easy. Wright says Burks is now finally at that point in his career and that’s why there’s no telling how good he can be.

For a related story, Burks’ teammate linebacker Jarred Bartlett called Burks a “ball hawk” for the defense.

WVU LB Jared Bartlett Calls Aubrey Burks ‘Ball Hawk’ of Defense