In his first season with Texas football, linebacker Liona Lefau made his presence known while playing a major role in almost every facet of special teams.

But his biggest impact for the Longhorns takes place behind the scenes, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian revealed during a chat with the media after Monday morning’s practice at Denius Fields.

“If you polled our team of the top two or three teammates on the team, there wouldn't be one of those 120 guys that wouldn't have Liona Lefau in that (group),” Sarkisian said. “He is an amazing teammate. He embodies what our culture (is) trying to be every single day. He definitely goes about his business to serve others and to continue to try to pick up his teammates any way that he can, and I think that’s a great quality to have for us. And obviously, he's still a really good football player on top of that, so we're lucky to have him.”

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Sarkisian thinks the 6-foot-1, 225-pound outside linebacker could develop into a rotational player in a unit headlined by fellow sophomore Anthony Hill Jr., the Longhorns’ rising star at middle linebacker. Hill and Lefau have a tight relationship away from the field, and their styles also mesh between the lines. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Hill wants to get downhill and attack a defense, using his size and speed to disrupt a play before it can even take shape. In comparison, the cerebral Lefau will dissect a play before the snap and use his instincts and range to help clean up the mess that Hill makes in the backfield.

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“His understanding of the defense is critical,” Sarkisian said. “His value at linebacker is really important, the way he works with Anthony.”

Lefau, MaxPreps’ 2022 high school player of the year in his native Hawaii, comes from the scenic North Shore of Oahu, a bucolic slice of paradise known for its surfing, waterfalls, shrimp trucks and high school football. Lefau helped perennial powerhouse Kahuku High School win two state championships, and he brought that winning attitude to Texas during his freshman season. He saw action in all 14 games for a Texas squad that went 12-2 and reached the College Football Playoff, and Sarkisian thinks he could play an even bigger role for a team that must replace special teams stars Kitan Crawford and Keilan Robinson.

“He really, last season, came on the scene as a special teams force,” Sarkisian said. “He's going to be a four-core special teamer for us (again). He's just got a knack and a feel for all different aspects of special teams.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Steve Sarkisian: LB Liona Lefau one of best teammates on Texas football