The 2026 offseason was full of change for Marist Liufau
The Dallas Cowboys defender had to learn a new scheme under Christian Parker. He also had to make a major adjustment as he switched from inside linebacker to edge rusher. After learning about his position change in the spring, Liufau said he altered some key aspects of his life
“I think I’m like about 20 pounds heavier than I was playing at last season. First starts with eating, so I could eat. So, that was nice. Pretty much got the green light to eat,” Liufau told Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) at Cowboys training camp. “As far as training goes, I think I attacked mostly my pass rush, as far as changing up my training habits because I was going to be asked to pass rush a lot more on the edge.”
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To gain weight, Liufau said he particularly loaded up on rice-based meals. He also added some Korean barbecue to his menu
Liufau was a third-round selection by the Cowboys in the 2024 NFL draft. He didn’t see the field consistently in his first two NFL seasons, but his athleticism could help him carve out a new role on the edge
While he looks to get through the position-swap learning curve, Liufau said he’s ready to find a different playing perspective on the field
“When you move from inside to outside, I feel like you’re just going to pick up things faster because there’s a lot less on your plate as far as getting guys lined up. Having to call the plays and having the green dot. So, it’s more simple,” Liufau said. “It’s just a totally new job and way of executing that job, and that’s the exciting part. You get to learn different things and you get to see how it is in a different perspective.”
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Under Parker, the Cowboys will run a versatile defensive scheme. That means we could see Liufau line up at several spots as the unit looks to disrupt opposing offenses
