The Cowboys are still in the process of figuring out who their starting linebackers will be in Week 1. DeMarvion Overshown is recovering from a multi-ligament knee injury, and the hope is that he will return at some point during the 2025 season. That leaves veterans Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn as the top two linebackers on the roster.
But there is another player who could get some consideration for one of the starting linebacker spots, and that is Marist Liufau. The third-round pick from Notre Dame actually started nine games for Dallas last year, filling in for Overshown and Eric Kendricks when they were out with injuries. With a new defensive coordinator and a new scheme, though, he isn’t necessarily a lock to see as much playing time.
However, all Liufau needed was one preseason game to make it clear to Matt Eberflus that he deserves to start.
Cowboys' Marist Liufau looked like a starting linebacker in Week 1 of preseason
We shouldn’t overreact too much based on what we see in the preseason, but it was hard to ignore Liufau. On the very first play, he made a tackle on kick coverage and then had the next tackle on defense. He was active as a blitzer and was flying around the ball during the snaps he was in the game.
One of the best parts of Liufau’s game is his physicality. The Cowboys don’t have many players on defense that play with his tenacity, and his ability to stop ball carriers in their tracks is noticeable.
While there are some concerns about his coverage kills, he more than makes up for it with aggressiveness and willingness. And you can already see he looks a lot more comfortable in Year 2 after a pretty solid rookie season. You can watch every one of is snaps from the game against the Rams behind this link.
It remains to be seen how the linebacker rotation will work out in Dallas, but it’s going to be tough for Matt Eberflus and company to keep him on the field. There is a chance we see Dallas use a heavy rotation, but the expectation is that Liufau will eventually become a starter. It doesn’t hurt that he is under contract through the 2027 season, whereas Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn are both on one-year deals.
The long-term future at linebacker is obvious for Dallas. The plan is for Overshown and Liufau to occupy those spots for the next several years. But does Liufau earn a place right away with the starters? Based on what we just saw in Week 1, it’s hard to say that he doesn’t deserve one.