Texas Football: Liona Lefau is ‘incredibly impressive’ in spring camp

The underclassmen have really impressed this spring for Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian. And it’s not just one group of underclassmen that have added to the depth and talent present on the roster for Texas in 2023.

The early enrollees and second-year players both are rising to the occasion in spring camp.

One particular Longhorns player that we heard some good things about in the last couple of weeks is the former blue-chip recruit and true freshman linebacker Liona Lefau. It sounds like Lefau is settling in nicely at the mike linebacker position behind the likes of seniors Jett Bush and Jaylan Ford.

A spring practice report from CJ Vogel of TFB Texas on April 6 (donor content) mentioned that “Lefau has been incredibly impressive since arriving on campus” this offseason. Two aspects of Lefau’s game that Vogel pointed out in this piece late this week were his impressive size and play recognition.

Finding the football and diagnosing plays seem to be no problem for Lefau. He’s showing us glimpses of that ability he displayed in his last couple of years in high school of being able to quarterback the defense while making plays in coverage and run defense.

First-year Texas football LB Liona Lefau looking “incredibly impressive” this spring

What sticks out to me, though, with what we’ve seen from Lefau this spring is his ability to contest space so well while carrying a 6-foot-1 and 227-pound frame. Lefau is already carrying the weight that guys like Ford and Bush are at the mike linebacker position, and he just arrived on campus a few months ago.

Meanwhile, Ford and Bush have both been on campus for more than four years now.

Lefau is putting himself in a good spot to earn some live-game reps this fall with how well he’s performed in spring camp. He’s an extremely steadying presence along the front seven, which is a rare trait for a true freshman early enrollee playing at middle linebacker.

And if Lefau can keep making the type of impression that he has on the coaches and his teammates so far this spring, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him push Bush for reps on the two-deep at mike linebacker heading into the fall.

Texas has just a few spring practices remaining before it’s time for the annual Orange-White spring football game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 15. Lefau and the Longhorns will have one more team practice before the end of drills this week.