Injuries and position changes have put two of SIU football’s leading tacklers together as inside linebacker.

Sophomore Chase Allen and senior Victor Burnett both have different backgrounds that made them two of the top tacklers on the team this year.

Allen is first and Burnett sixth on the team in total tackles with 66 and 40, respectively.

Inside linebacker coach Todd Auer said he still expects more out of the two.

“To me, they are not impressive yet,” he said. “They are making some plays, but as a unit we need to make more impact plays.”

Allen played outside linebacker until the spring practices, but he moved to inside linebacker because of a lack of depth in the position.

“We knew we were going to lose Carl Bivens this year, so I moved over to inside linebacker,” he said. “I played there in high school so we figured I would be the most natural switch into the position.”

Auer said Allen’s speed is uncommon for a player his size, which sets him apart.

The coach always wants more out of his players but said Allen is performing right where he expected.

“He could be a great player, but he’s not there yet,” Auer said. “He’s solid, but he has to learn to finish things better and understand the position better. He’s a young guy, and he can be a really big impact guy. It’s endless for what he can do.”

He called the player very coachable.

Allen said he has never really thought about how good he can be, but he hopes to continue to improve over the next two years.

“I need to be more physical, and everything else will come with experience,” he said.

While Allen is fast and agile, Burnett is more of a physical linebacker who has lost mobility from knee injuries in his career.

After being redshirted as a freshman at the University of Washington and then not playing his sophomore year, Burnett transferred to SIU. He played in five games for the Salukis in the 2012 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury, which led to him missing the entire 2013 season.

Burnett said his plan was to transfer from University of Washington to San Diego State, but the NCAA told him if he did that he would have to sit out the following year.

“I was already a year out of football,” he said. “I did not want to sit out another year and I knew if I dropped down a division, I could play right away. I visited SIU and ended up liking it here. It was an opportunity to grow up and live somewhere other than the west coast. It’s a completely different environment.”

Auer said Burnett is the most physical linebacker on the team, and his football instincts set him apart.

Burnett agreed.

“Since the knee injuries, I’ve kind of lost agility,” he said. “I’m not able to move around people as easily, but with my physicality I’ll go right through linemen to make my plays.”

Auer said the injuries leave Burnett a little stiffer and slower.

He said he is happy Burnett has been able to stay healthy this season. The coaching staff saw him as a question mark in spring practices because his practice time was limited while recovering from injury.

Burnett said he changed how he prepares since suffering the knee injuries.

“Before the injuries I never really studied other people’s game film, just my own,” he said. “But with that extra time, I realized by studying other people’s game film I can put myself in the right position easier, which helps my game out.”

Burnett has been a leading tackler on the team, despite not starting a game.

He said he is not underused, and the inside linebackers rotate and end up playing equal amounts of time.

“We don’t really focus on having starters. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “We all do what we can and end up getting our playing time.”

Auer said Burnett is doing everything he can this season to bounce back from injury.

“He hasn’t finished some plays, and there are a few mental mistakes, but he’s played about as well as you can expect after being out two years,” he said.

Brent Meske can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brentmeskeDE