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Exree Loe Reaping the Rewards of Sticking it Out at WVU

From defensive back to linebacker, Loe makes the most of his opportunity.

Exree Loe came to West Virginia as a cornerback out of Johnstown, PA in the 2017 recruiting class but has since made two position changes. When he first arrived at WVU, the previous coaching staff moved him to safety but it didn't take long before Loe was moved once again, this time to linebacker.

During the 2018 season, the Mountaineers were short on numbers at linebacker due to the injuries of Dylan Tonkery, Brendan Ferns, Quandarius Qualls, and a few others. Then defensive coordinator, Tony Gibson, had to shuffle some things around defensively in order to get more depth in the 2nd level. JoVanni Stewart and Exree Loe, two safeties, made the move to linebacker to soften the impact of the injuries. Stewart moved into a starting role while Loe provided depth. 

The first couple of years were difficult for Loe as he saw minimal playing time. Leaving WVU to enter the transfer portal was never a thought for him. He wanted to stick it out and when his time came, he knew he would be ready.

"I could have got down on myself those first couple of years when nothing was happening. I'm not a quitter. I'm not going to give up just because something isn't going my way," Loe told reporters Wednesday. "Life doesn't treat you fair so you just have to keep your head down and keep working and once you get to that point, you still have to work because there's room for improvement."

Not only was it difficult to remain patient but learning a completely new position brought a whole new challenge to the table. Loe admits that at first, it wasn't easy but Gibson emphasized that moving to linebacker would be the best thing for him long-term. 

"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 experience what it's like to play on this level so I committed myself to it and just went after it.

"Physicality-wise it was a big difference because at corner you don't get to see the alignment and tight ends coming in the box and they're on your feet fast so it was a hard transition at first."

Switching to a new position isn't as easy as one would think, especially one you've never played before. Linebackers have a whole slew of different responsibilities than corners on the field but also off the field. Loe had to transform his body to be able to withstand the physicality in the box so he had to pack on roughly 15-18 pounds.

"It took about six months to get my weight up because I was only 200 pounds. They wanted me 215-218, so I had to eat consistently. It took me probably a good three to six months to get where I needed to be."

With Josh Chandler-Semedo moving to MIKE, this now opens the door for Loe to move into the starting spot at WILL. Head coach Neal Brown believes he is ready for this opportunity.

"I think this is his time," Brown stated. "He battled a foot injury all year last year. He's been one of the best special teams players now going on three years. We know he's going to be a contributor on special teams. He's going to be a great, not a good special teams player but I think it's time for him. I think it's a good opportunity for him in this preseason camp to earn quality playing time on defense."

Last season, Loe accounted for 46 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble in just nine games. As productive as he was in 2020, Loe wasn't satisfied with his consistency and noted that's one area that he must improve this fall.

"I think my thing last year was I was an inconsistent player. I had some good days at practice and I had bad days. My focus this year is always being at my best and performing at my best."

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