Second-Year Leap for Cowboys Linebacker Marist Liufau?

Dallas Cowboys second-year linebacker Marist Liufau has emerged as an early standout during the first week of training camp.

Liufau credits experience as the best teacher, saying it's helped him approach this year’s camp with greater confidence and comfort.

"I think having a year under my belt, a lot of that helps with my confidence, for sure," Liufau said. "And the game's slowing down because of that. Yeah, just feeling more comfortable at the NFL level."

The Notre Dame product also improved a certain aspect of his game that will allow him to flourish in new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ scheme.

"I worked a lot on my speed," Liufau said. "That was a big thing that I wanted to work on this offseason, and also my conditioning. Knowing [Matt] Eberflus' system, we're gonna be running a lot, and it emphasizes running through the ball, and so we got to be in the best shape to be able to dominate and play the kind of defense that we want.

"I got a lot of work on the hills. I did a lot of footwork drills. Just to work on my feet a lot and my power while I'm driving. That's why I did a lot of hills."

Newcomer vets Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray seem locked onto jobs. But Liufau is expected to play a significant role this season especially early as rising star DeMarvion Overshown continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered last year.

With a clear path to more playing time and the tools to thrive, Liufau has a golden opportunity to cement his role in the Cowboys linebacker corps.