There weren’t many bright spots in Saturday’s preseason opener for the Dallas Cowboys, a 31-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was even tougher to find light in a first quarter that saw Dallas get outscored 14-0 and outgained 160-1.
But if you looked deep, you would find arguably the most dominant player from the Cowboys’ preseason opener flying around in that opening frame making tackles — second-year linebacker Marist Liufau.
It started on the opening kickoff when Liufau, a third-round draft pick last year out of Notre Dame, flew down the field and made the preseason’s first tackle before following it up with two more stops in the next two drives.
“It felt great,” Liufau said about returning to the field. “I missed it. It’s been a little while.”
It has been a strong training camp for Liufau, who has emerged as a consistent player with the first-team unit, especially in dime packages that put three linebackers on the field. Whether he’s used in coverage or as a specialized blitzing weapon, Liufau has made his mark in Southern California. In the preseason opener, he furthered that repertoire with success in the run game.
“I feel prepared,” he said. “Training camp has been going great for me and the defense as a whole. I have the confidence in us as a team and a defense. ... I feel like my football IQ with a year under my belt in the NFL has allowed me to be a lot more comfortable in playing in the NFL and at this stage. It’s helped my game a lot.”
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned how Liufau cut weight in the offseason to maximize his athleticism as a rangy linebacker. From the naked eye, you can see some added muscle to his upper half as well, making it easier to play his physical brand of football.
“I worked out the same, but it takes hard work to be at this level,” he said. “For me, I really just watched my diet. Changing my body a little bit has been doing me well. I feel like I’ve been flying around and that I can do this for a long time.”
His physical nature lines up directly with what new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is trying to accomplish with his unit in Dallas. Under a system that seeks out heat-seeking missiles such as himself, Liufau is looking forward to what he can accomplish in 2025.
“The attack mindset of it, for sure,” Liufau said. “The philosophy of it aligns with my philosophy of how to play football. Just play physical, dominant defense.”
In his rookie season, Liufau registered 50 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 17 games. He is expected to take on a bigger workload following an offseason that’s been commended by his coaches and a training camp and start to the preseason that have caught the attention of the evaluators around him.
“Excited going into the second year,” he said. “I feel confident and ready to go.”