Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau Has A Lot On Line At 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Flashing back to the 2020 season, former Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau had outstanding flashes for becoming a star for the Irish defense. Unfortunately his career was derailed in 2021 when he suffered a preseason ACL injury that cost him that season. Over the last two years, Liufau had some good moments but was maddeningly inconsistent at times. He finished his Notre Dame career with 117 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception and three pass breakups.

There were enough flashes for Liufau to receive an invite to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. The Hawaii native put together a really nice week of practice, receiving buzz from NFL scouts around the league for his combination of athleticism, length and upside.

On Thursday, the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off, with Liufau being one of the 300 top NFL Draft prospects who will be traveling to Indianapolis to impress the NFL scouts, decision makers and coaches in attendance. It’s going to be a massive week for Liufau to try and stand out. Here is what is on the line.

CURRENT PROJECTION

Liufau’s draft stock is also over the place. Some teams are high, and others have questions about his natural instincts to play the linebacker position. Right now, the middle of Day Three (Rounds 5-6) seems like the sweet spot. If Liufau has an impressive Combine showing and meetings throughout the process, there’s a chance he could work his way up to early Day Three.

WHAT’S ON THE LINE AT THE COMBINE?

The combine for Liufau is going to be two big hurdles. One is going to be in the medicals, where Liufau did have a season ending knee injury a couple of years ago. In today’s world, ACL tears are hardly ever serious long term as long as there hasn’t been multiple injuries to the same leg. Still, it’s a box to check.

When you watch the film, the biggest selling point for Liufau’s game is athleticism. He must leave no doubt in the testing, verifying that he is a big time athlete with upside to tap into. There is a belief that at 6-2 and 239 pounds, with extremely long arms, Liufau will impress in this department. Here are some numbers that would be ideal for him to hit on Thursday.

40-Yard Dash: 4.60-4.62 seconds
Vertical Jump: 33-35 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet, 2 inches
3-Cone Drill: 4.2 seconds
Short Shuttle: 7.2 seconds
Bench Press: 20 reps

NEXT STEP

The more that Liufau can flash his athleticism to scouts and decision makers, the better. If he has great testing in Indianapolis, which is the expectation, the Pro Day on March 21st will be about Liufau showing out in the positional drills. On top of the on-field showing, Liufau will have a chance to really sell himself as a person in the Top 30 visits with teams. That part matters so much for a player who initially projects to be an asset on special teams.