BYU football: Riley Burt moves from running back to defensive back

BYU football’s Riley Burt has made a position switch, according to the Cougars’ defensive coordinator, Ilaisa Tuiaki.

BYU football’s Riley Burt has had a busy tenure in Provo, despite not seeing action in many games as a Cougar.

Burt’s gone from defensive back to running back, now back to defensive back.

Defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki confirmed the move to the media during his availability session after the Cougars’ practice on Tuesday.

“We felt like it was a better fit for him,” Tuiaki told Brandon Gurney of the Deseret News. “He’s fast enough. We just want to test his hips and see where he is.”

The move is certainly a surprising one. Considering how lackluster the BYU running backs have been this season, it seemed like Burt could play some role in the backfield – even if it was just a limited, scat-back one.

After all, the last time he was getting carries (2015), he broke off this impressive run against Cincinnati.

But, if the coaches have made this decision, that must mean they’re seeing something in practice. Maybe Burt hasn’t looked as good in practice recently as he did during fall camp. Maybe Squally Canada, Kavika Fonua and Ula Tolutau are looking much better.

I’m not entirely sure, but I do trust the coaching staff to make the right call with position switches. After all, Kalani Sitake and Tuiaki had a lot of success doing just that while at Utah.

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This also helps explain Burt’s lack of involvement in the offense. After learning he was 100 percent healthy, in good academic standing and not in any sort of trouble, it was disappointing to think he couldn’t get a single carry.

Apparently it was because of this switch.

The plan is for Burt to start playing cornerback, then move to safety. But remember, he’s just a redshirt sophomore – so this might not be his final landing place. I think that he has the frame to play linebacker, he just needs to bulk up a little more.

Plus, that wouldn’t be the first time that BYU football switched a running back to a new position to find success. Michael Alisa and Francis Bernard both come to mind. Maybe Burt can add his name to that list.