Marist Liufau is the versatile linebacker prospect everyone should hope their team selects in the 2024 NFL Draft

In today's NFL, teams are looking for linebackers who can do it all. Stop the run. Cover in space. Rush the passer. Versatility is a must for any linebacker looking to succeed. But how do the best linebackers in the game today get to the point where they can execute in every phase of defense? That's what I wanted to know when I interviewed one of the most versatile linebackers in the 2024 NFL Draft class here recently, Marist Liufau from Notre Dame.

For those unfamiliar with Liufau he is a two-year starting linebacker from Notre Dame with over 1500 snaps of experience for the Fighting Irish. He was a 2023 Butkus Award Semifinalist for being one of the best linebackers in all of college football. He's known around the sport as one of the more versatile linebackers who can rush the passer nearly 20 times one week, then drop into coverage for half his snaps the next. But many more casual football fans may just know him for sacking Caleb Williams twice last fall in Notre Dame's 48-20 destruction of the USC Trojans.

Journey from Hawaii to South Bend

Before Liufau was tackling the future number one overall pick in the backfield he was dominating the competition halfway across the Pacific Ocean in Honululu, Hawaii. Liufau led an incredible defense for Punahou High School, a team that inevitably finished with 6 of the top 20 recruits from Hawaii in his recruiting class.

But even when you're an amazing recruit from Hawaii, it can be difficult to stand out. There aren't as many eyes on the 60 or so high schools there on the islands compared to all the academies and "top tier" football programs in states like California, Texas, Florida, or Georgia.

Fortunately, Liufau told me his talents caught the eye of a former Punahou High School football player and Notre Dame Fighting Irish legacy:

"Kids really have to just send their film out. That's one of the things that I did. And also [went] to camps in the States. But I was fortunate to have Robby Toma who went to Notre Dame with Manti [Te'o]. He connected me with the [Notre Dame] special teams coordinator at the time. I got to grow that relationship with them and eventually got an offer from Notre Dame. And once I got the offer it was a no-brainer."

Both Robby Toma (former Notre Dame WR) and Manti Te'o (one of the best Fighting Irish linebackers ever) originally went to Punahou High School in the early 2000s, so it clearly meant a lot for them to connect Liufau with Notre Dame, ultimately leading to an opportunity for him to continue their legacy at one of the most prestigious programs in football.

Perseverance, Preparation and Versatility at Notre Dame

Once at Notre Dame, Liufau almost immediately made his presence known. As a redshirt freshman in 2020 he played over 200 snaps, coming up with some huge plays, sacking opposing quarterbacks multiple times and stuffing the run on several occasions. But before his likely 2021 breakout season even began he suffered a broken ankle, causing him to miss the entire year.

When I asked Liufau about the hardest thing he had to overcome in his career, it was that injury:

"That was one of the hardest things I had to go through in college...it was my first surgery, and the first time I had to use crutches and a wheelchair...I had to be a lot more dependent on other people which was hard for me...One of the hardest things was watching the guys on TV, knowing that I should have been out there. But it just taught me to have a great positive mindset through any times in your life, especially through the hardest times. It'll get you through anything. Leaning on my support systems, my family--which is everything to me--is what got me through it."

After Liufau recovered from his injury he was hungry to get back on the field to start making plays again. Liufau immediately became the team's leader on defense, tallying more snaps than any other Fighting Irish defender in 2022. Over the next two seasons he went on to rack up six sacks, pressured opposing quarterbacks nearly 40 times (with a 15% pass rush pressure rate), stuffed runs left and right, and only allowed 3.78 receiving yards per target in coverage (an absolutely insane number for linebackers).

When I asked Liufau about being so versatile, and what makes him so good in so many ways, one thing stood out. His preparation.

"Getting dialed in and focused for that week. And really honing in on my preparation leading up to the game is something that helped me to focus in on what I had to do [for] my assignment. And then as far as doing all those different positions and executing those at a high level...versatility helps a lot. Just being really detailed in my preparation throughout the week helped me to really succeed in those different positions whether I was on the line or off the ball...Especially after practice. After practice was a huge time for me to just work on those extra little things that I never got to touch on too much during practice [like specific pass rush moves and coverage techniques]."

Liufau's preparation with techniques for various positions was one thing, but his evident film study was another that impressed. I asked him about some of his favorite plays. Every single one he talked through came from his dedicated film study of opponents. One of his favorites came against NC State last fall:

"So they fled the [running] back, and threw a screen [to a wide receiver on the] backside. They had shown that a lot on film. So once I saw it, I waited for it, reacted when I saw it. And I was able to jump it a little bit and tackle the screen, get a nice hit on the receiver in the backfield. That was probably one of my favorite plays this year."

You can see the exact play in the post below from Ryan Roberts of Irish Breakdown. Liufau quickly processes the quarterback's fake. Then thanks to his intense preparation, he's already sprinting towards the outside wide receiver to make the tackle before the quarterback even lifts his arm to throw the ball. And boom! Tackle for loss. Liufau's anticipation, explosiveness, and physicality on this play are part of what makes him so special.