The first week of training camp is always a difficult one to assess. The players are in shells, contact is limited and inferences must be made. Sometimes these determinations prove correct, other times they are nothing but Fool’s Gold. In the case of second year linebacker Marist Liufau, it looks like the real deal.
Liufau has been a regular name on the daily “standouts” list in training camp this year. The 24-year-old sophomore has hit the ground running and appears to be attacking each play at a different speed than anyone else.
His rookie season saw flashes of brilliance such as this. The former Notre Dame star lived up to the draft reports that he played with his hair on fire, running harder and faster than others and generally operating at a different speed. While he might have outperformed his athletic profile in his rookie season, he fell short in the mental portion. Liufau didn’t always execute his run fits correctly and at times he misdiagnosed plays. Thus far in camp, it appears he’s cleaned up all of those mental hiccups and now stands to become a difference maker at LB in 2025.
Liufau plays with a special level of explosiveness on the field. His brand of high-effort, no-hesitation football gives him an edge over the competition. Coupled with his improved reads and added discipline, Liufau could be the Cowboys most impactful LB this coming year.
With DeMarvion Overshown likely to miss the majority of the season rehabbing a late season knee injury, Liufau could slot in multiple places on the Cowboys defense. The Mike and Will spots will give him the best opportunity to make plays so Dallas is likely to move the young playmaker between the two.
Those at camp see a player who completely honed into the game, playing like he knows the plays before the snap, beating offensive players to their spots and blowing up plays before they even develop. Since Liufau answered the athletic questions last season, the only thing to prove in Year 2 is the mental side of the game. So far, he's done that to a significant degree, opening the door to a massive breakout season in 2025.
