Notre Dame graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau declares for 2024 NFL Draft
Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau is off to the professional ranks. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-2¼, 239-pound graduate student declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and opted out of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Liufau foregoes his final season of collegiate eligibility with his decision.
“I want to express endless gratitude for the unconditional support and guidance I’ve received during my time at Notre Dame,” Liufau said in a social media post. “Irish fans — thank you for showing up every Saturday in the fall and for being the best fanbase in college football. To my coaches, support staff and professors — thank you for believing in me and helping me find myself as both a student-athlete and a person. To my teammates — thank you for the endless memories. You’ve truly become family and I can’t wait to see what you all do next.
“After much prayer and thought, I have decided it is best for me to opt out of the bowl game and pursue my dreams by declaring for the NFL draft. I am extremely excited for the next step in my journey, but Notre Dame will always be home.”
Liufau’s choice comes amidst one of his best seasons in a Fighting Irish uniform. In 12 games, he logged 44 tackles (23 solo), 6 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. He also had 2 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Ten games into his senior campaign, the Butkus Award named Liufau one of 12 semifinalists. The Butkus Award honors the nation’s top linebackers.
Liufau was also great in pass defense in 2023. He achieved an 82.5 grade in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. That mark only trailed linebacker Jack Kiser (89.1) and cornerbacks Cam Hart (84.2) and Benjamin Morrison (83.5). Liufau allowed a 90.2 passer rating when targeted.
Liufau will play in the upcoming Reese’s Senior Bowl alongside graduate student cornerback Cam Hart.
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A glance at Marist Liufau’s Notre Dame career before 2023
A product of Honolulu Punahou, Liufau was at Notre Dame for five years. He did not play during the 2021 season due to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason.
When he returned to the lineup in 2022, Liufau started in 13 games. He registered 51 tackles (22 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sack. He notched his only career interception against Syracuse on Oct. 29, 2022.
Liufau’s first impactful season on the Irish defense was in 2020. He played in 10 outings — including three starts — and had 23 tackles (10 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
He appeared in four games as a freshman in 2019.
As a recruit, Liufau held five other Power Five offers, all from the Pac-12. He was the No. 449 overall player, No. 52 linebacker and No. 6 prospect in Hawaii, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.
According to On3, Liufau is a four-star collegiate prospect ranked as the No. 38 linebacker in the country. His On3 NIL Valuation annual value is $130,000, which ranks No. 709 among college football players.
