Marist Liufau, LB, Notre-Dame (Senior)
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Rayane M
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Strengths :
- Strong Coverage Abilities
- Interesting Blitzing Capability
- Nice Handwork in Pass rush
Weaknesses :
- Run stop has been a struggle
- Slow play recognition
- Plays Too High
- Average Athletic Abilities
- Needs to Work on Pursuit Angles and Tackling
- Lacks Consistency in Effort
- Relies Too Much on Instincts
- Still too Raw
LB Marist Liufau
— Rayane M (@RayaneScout) December 29, 2023
With very high level covering skills but unfortunately coupled with an ability to defend the run still very raw, Liufau represents an interesting project to develop medium term for team that already has a starter installed on the position
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These two aspects constitute the bulk of Liufau's ability to apply pressure on the opposing QB. When he decides to use them, his hands can be quick, and Marist targets the joints of offensive linemen to compensate for his lack of power. His Rip Move is also quite effective; he exhibits good explosiveness and a wide range of motion, allowing him to finish his move well and forcing blockers to let go if they don't want to risk injuring their shoulder.
Diving into all of Liufau's weaknesses that are likely to require a significant amount of work before he can claim a spot on the field, we have to start with his ability to defend the run because where Marist excels in coverage, we can't say the same when it comes to defending on the Run stop. It's not uncommon to see him appear lost most of the time and he will have a lot of work to do to be at the pro level in this specific area due to several points we'll discuss right away.
It's really unfortunate, especially since it's something that can be quickly improved, although it remains challenging to perfect in order to find the perfect angle. However, a slight adjustment would allow him to shine even more. This is particularly important considering, as I mentioned, he sometimes struggles with speed. With better reading and pursuit angles, he could greatly compensate for this lack of speed.
It's a subtle nuance that can sometimes be difficult to determine, and it's what decides whether to consider it a positive or a negative, or sometimes not to mention it at all. Playing too much on instinct isn't good, but being too rigid and disciplined can also be a negative in my opinion. Unfortunately for Marist, he relies too much on instinct and tends to neglect the discipline required in his defensive scheme. This is once again highly coachable if he ends up with the right coach and could even become one of his strengths if he finds himself in the right environment with a coach who understands him.
To conclude this scouting report on Marist Liufau, as you may have gathered, I'm not particularly excited about what Marist brings to the table. He's a real project in my eyes who will need to spend at least one full year on the bench. Additionally, while I initially considered a position change given his excellent coverage skills, which are truly outstanding, his lack of speed has particularly cooled my enthusiasm.
Furthermore, given the challenges he may face in the box to excel in situations involving Run stop, given the challenges he may face in the box to excel in situations involving, it's difficult to envision him having a future as a Middle LB. Therefore, his best fit would likely be as an Outside LB in schemes utilizing a 3 LB setup or as the Buck LB in Nickel packages (the second Inside LB) with fewer run responsibilities but more comfort in pass coverage. However, even in these roles, he may struggle against higher-caliber opponents due to his athletic abilities and issues with reading the run game.
Marist Liufau is indeed a real project who, as I write these lines, seems to have little chance of success unless a titanic amount of work is put in, in my opinion. However, his age still offers hope for development, which is why I currently see him as a 5th round prospect. If Marist were 23 or 24 years old, it's highly likely that I would have viewed him even lower.
In any case, I hope your team won't pick him before the 3rd day, and even then, I believe that selecting him in the 4th round would be a significant reach.