The first veteran opt-out of Notre Dame’s appearance in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29 has arrived. Fifth-year linebacker Marist Liufau had already made clear his plan to head to the NFL by committing to play in the Senior Bowl, and on Tuesday morning he announced he will forgo the bowl game in order to begin preparing for the next level.
“After much prayer and thought, I have decided it is best for me to opt out of the bowl game and pursue my dreams by declaring for the NFL draft,” Liufau wrote on Twitter. “I am extremely excited for the next step in my journey, but Notre Dame will always be home.”
Liufau finishes his final collegiate season with 39 tackles with 3.5 for loss including two sacks, as well as a forced fumble and two passes broken up. He ends his Irish career with 113 tackles in 38 games, 9.5 of them for loss.
Liufau was the talk of preseason practices leading into the 2021 season, flashing a knack for disruption that him made look like not only a breakout player in South Bend, but perhaps one nationally.
And then he dislocated his ankle just before the season, an injury with a violent nature not done justice by its name.
Forever Grateful ☘️ pic.twitter.com/WQMqlwXs6E
— Marist Liufau (@marist_09) December 5, 2023
“Funny story, I actually put it back in place right after it happened,” he joked on the ND on NBC Podcast this past September, two years after the injury. “My foot was a little off. I just moved it back to where it was supposed to be.”
He was medically healthy by 2022, but some reticence was clear and understandable. In that same podcast appearance, Liufau admitted he still has lessened flexibility in that foot, working on stretching it every day.
Realizing all that, Liufau skipping No. 16 Notre Dame’s meeting with No. 19 Oregon State (8-4) in El Paso makes sense. He should not risk another catastrophic injury unless he is directly in front of NFL scouts.
The Senior Bowl’s allure is more about the week leading into it than it is the game itself. Players practice under the tutelage of NFL personnel, those moments moving them up draft boards more than anything seen that Saturday.
Liufau simply getting an invite to the Senior Bowl suggests his strong chances of getting drafted in the spring.
In his place, Notre Dame (9-3) will turn to sophomore Jaylen Sneed and freshmen Drayk Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry that much more, beginning against the Beavers’ run-heavy offense.
The Irish await official decisions from Liufau’s classmates and positionmates JD Bertrand and Jack Kiser about both the Sun Bowl and 2024, though Bertrand has indicated he will be headed to the NFL.
JD Bertrand becomes second #NotreDame LB to commit to a postseason showcase game, which means he intends to leave college this offseason.@insideNDsports postseason roundup:https://t.co/cKx76NCOUe pic.twitter.com/vvk39ypb43
— Tyler James (@TJamesND) December 2, 2023
