Austin

Faoliu

Faoliu (6’3/287) attended the illustrious Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA where he received a three-star grade and chose Oregon over offers from Texas, Oklahoma, Washington State, Arizona and several others. He saw action immediately in 2017, recording 315 snaps, 22 tackles, 2.5 TFL and a very respectable 72.9 PFF overall defensive grade. As a sophomore, Faoliu continued to improve, posting a career high 42 tackles to go with 2.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles along with an exceptional 90.5 PFF run defense grade. However after a standout two seasons on campus, Faoliu’s level of play noticeably decreased. He gradually phased out from lining up in the A-Gap and over tackle to become a strict three-tech. His PFF defensive grade plummeted to a 61.9 and never developed a go-to pass rush move to beyond simply trying to bull rush the opposing lineman in front of him. Quick to diagnose plays and can strongarm blockers in the run game, but his 0.5 TFL in 296 snaps as a senior is concerning. A hamstring injury kept Faoliu from testing, so we don’t have any verified results to reference from his pro day. His rigid frame and lack of standard three-tech size will make it difficult for him to make the Cowboys’ final roster.