The Dallas Cowboys selected Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau with the 24th pick (87th overall) in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Liufau came to Notre Dame as part of the 2019 freshman class and was a three-star prospect out of Hawaii. There was talk at the time that Liufau could start his career wearing a gray shirt as there were no scholarship spots available. Luckily for Marist, a spot opened up over the summer and she received a full scholarship to begin her career.
Marist had some time as a freshman, but he was still able to redshirt. Marist really started making noise during his sophomore season, starting three games that year.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Marist Liufau (Go Irish!) with the 87th pick.
My model ranked him 231st
best player available
49. Dudrion Taylor Demerson S3
53. TJ Tampa CB9
54. JaTavion Sanders TE3
55. Austin Booker EDGE7#NFLDraft #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/d6iJtk7Qmz— Notre Dame Soccer Statistics and Analysis (@ND_FB_Analytics) April 27, 2024
Liufau missed the entire 2021 season due to an ankle injury, but returned in 2022 when he started all 13 games and was third on the team with 51 tackles, giving the program real recognition.
Marist's production dropped slightly in 2023 (one fewer game), but he was an impact player that the offense had to scheme around. His energy, speed, and athleticism made him one of the best defensive players in college football.
