GAINESVILE, Fla.-- Dan Mullen loves recruiting versatile athletes. Athletes like Amari Burney.

“In high school I played everything," said the Clearwater, Fla. native. "I played defensive line my freshman year, then moved to linebacker and safety. I was just mainly in the middle of the field, making tackles.”

"When you look, he's a big athletic guy and we love to be athletic on defense," said the Gators head coach. "He brings a great deal of athleticism to the defense."

Burney arrived at Florida last season and was one of the few freshmen to make an instant impact. The first year Gator showed off his athleticism on special teams and quickly earned a few reps at Star - behind Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

However, with Vosean Joseph choosing to enter the NFL draft a year early, the Gators saw his potential at linebacker.

"One of the things last year, he was playing star for us, he was very comfortable playing in space," said Mullen. "He can run people down. And at the money linebacker, it's an important thing to have that athleticism to be able to make plays in space. You see a guy that is getting comfortable with the fits in tight in between tackles. As he gets comfortable with that, he'll end up becoming an excellent linebacker."

"He’s got really good speed, he’s instinctive, he’s picking up playing in the box well," added Florida defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham. "By him going there, it allows us to get good speed on the field, work to get our best 11 players on the field. Also gives us flexibility.

"He could easily go back and play star if he had to. But now he can play money. He gives you some athletic ability there. We’ll continue to develop him there. I like the way he’s progressed.”

Burney is no stranger to playing linebacker, however. The talented defender played at the position against Michigan and Florida State last fall.

"It was mainly covering linebacker. But now I’m in the run fit and things like that.”

So there was still a bit of an adjustment this spring.

“Just meeting with coaches, studying the film, just looking at everything they did last year with Vosean [Joseph]," said Burney. "Just looking at how he did it and going back and looking at what I’m doing and seeing what I’m doing wrong. Sometimes seeing what he’s doing wrong and change it going on the field.”

Burney quickly demonstrated to his former and current teammates his potential, and has earned several first team reps alongside senior linebacker, David Reese.

"He has great coverage, we've just got to get him a little bit more help at reading the little stuff like tackles," said Reese. "Being outside the box, it's not the same as playing inside the box, so he just needs a little bit about reading the tackles and stuff like that. We've been working on that all spring, and then all summer we'll continue to work on that."

"Amari's a beast," said Vosean Joseph. "I look at him as a little me, but he faster than me. He's elusive, he explosive but all our linebackers are like that.

"At the end of the day I feel like our linebacker corps the best in the nation, that's all I got to say about it."

It was a lot of hard work but Burney is slowly becoming more comfortable at the position.

“The move’s been great," said Burney. "The coaches, they get me ready in the weight room, bulking me up a little bit more, getting me more fit. They’re just teaching me the new plays, new position. I feel comfortable with it.”

The weight room.

Burney is not just making sure he understands the intricacies of his new position, he is making sure his body is capable of performing it at the highest level.

According to the sophomore, Burney has added about three pounds of muscle this offseason.

“Just doing extra work after the workout," explained Burney. "I’m going in there, lifting, getting my arms bigger, getting my legs bigger just for the fight in the trenches.

"I’m trying to maintain right now," he added about his weight. "Then when we get into the summer, I’ll see where they have me at, what plans they have, what food and things like that.”

The transition was not always easy for Burney.

“Probably in the beginning it was the fits," he said about the hardest part of the change. "I was mainly just a cover person coming in. Learning new plays, learning fits, now I’m getting very comfortable with it.”

Despite the new challenges, Burney is enjoying his new role and playing along side David Reese.

“I love it. New position, new coaches. I’m very comfortable with it right now," said Burney. "Just getting through the spring, then when fall camp comes around, I’ll be more comfortable with it.”

Burney at linebacker is here to stay. And it's a good thing Burney just fits right in.

“Just the speed, going sideline to sideline," Burney on why he feels linebacker is his position. "Just knowing how to cover the tight end and things like that, the run fits, coming down in the box and making tackles."

“I’m feeling more comfortable. The game is slowing down for me. I’m learning the plays," said Burney.