How versatility strengthens Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau’s case for NFL Draft
INDIANAPOLIS — On Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, linebacker prospect Marist Liufau said his best game tape came from Notre Dame’s 45-24 win over North Carolina State Sept. 9.
Why? He did a little bit of everything.
“I thought I did a great job timing on my blitzes and just coverage as well,” Liufau, who spent five seasons with the Irish, said. “Getting to the football, really, and flying around the field.”
Liufau’s versatility is his biggest selling point to NFL teams after his Notre Dame career. Teams have talked to him about playing both inside and outside. He even has some experience as an edge rusher, as Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden put him there in several sub packages.
When he got a chance to get after the quarterback, Liufau totaled 25 pressures and 3 sacks in just 129 pass-rush reps. He gave up very little in coverage, being targeted 11 times all season and allowing just 62 yards.
Even though his tackling numbers weren’t where he may have wanted, Liufau brings plenty to the table. He has some intriguing physical tools, too.
“I would say just being a physical, dominant presence on the field, being able to play, like you said, wherever a coach puts me at,” Liufau said when asked where he brings the most value.
At the Senior Bowl, Liufau’s arms came in at 34 inches. That gave some teams ideas about using him in that same hybrid role in the NFL.
“I love being able to rush the passer,” Liufau said. “It was great. Being able to rush the passer is always fun. Every time I was on the edge, I had a lot of fun doing it.”
Liufau said he was able to play the run or even drop into coverage from that edge rusher spot, which could lead to playing time at a Sam (strong-side) linebacker position at the next level.
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“There’s a lot of things you could really do,” Liufau said. “I thought it was pretty similar to inside backer, just from the line of scrimmage.”
Liufau prides himself in that versatility, which he said comes from years of experience playing inside linebacker before he started to move around. He was primarily the Will (weak-side linebacker) in Notre Dame’s scheme, but he played Mike (middle linebacker).
Once he got a full grasp of what he was doing at those spots, Golden felt better about moving him outside and down toward the line of scrimmage. That moment came between his senior and graduate student seasons, and it’s a big reason why he was most effective in 2023.
“Being able to learn those positions and getting them down allowed me to be comfortable moving to more of an outside, line of scrimmage defender and really focus on that a lot, knowing that I had a lot of inside linebacker experience under my belt,” Liufau said.
Wherever he plays and whomever uses a draft pick on him — and although his projected round varies wildly, most expect him to get drafted — Liufau’s goal will be to master whatever his new team wants him to do. If it means narrowing in on one spot, so be it. If it means focusing on multiple positions, that would work, too.
“I would say depending on the team and where I’m put at, I just want to be the best at what I’m playing at that time,” Liufau said. “If it’s inside, if it’s outside, wherever I’m at at the time. If it’s both, I want to be the best at both.”
