Former Texas LB Liona Lefau commits to Colorado out of NCAA Transfer Portal

Former Texas linebacker Liona Lefau committed to transfer to Colorado out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. He’ll have one season of eligibility remaining in Denver.

Lefau is coming off a career year as a junior this past season at Texas, where he was tied for third on the team with 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, one sack and one fumble return for a touchdown against Arkansas. Lefau commits to Colorado over strong interest from BYU, which was considered the top contender since he entered the portal in mid-December, per On3’s Pete Nakos.

The 6-foot-1 and 227-pound Lefau tallied 139 tackles, including 68 solo, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one interceptions in 42 career games over the last three seasons in Austin. Lefau has been a mainstay in the heart of the Longhorns defense with 28 starts over the past two seasons, including ranking fifth on the team with 63 total tackles as a sophomore in 2024.

Lefau signed with Texas as a three-star prospect from Kahuku (Hawai’i) High in the 2023 recruiting cycle, where he was the No. 2 player out of Hawai’i, the No. 40 linebacker and the No. 426 player overall, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. Lefau is ranked as the No. 8 linebacker and No. 196 player overall in the 2026 transfer class, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.

A native of Laie, Hawai’i, Lefau joins a Colorado defense that ranked dead-last in the 16-team Big 12 last season allowing a conference-worst 425.7 yards per game in 2025. The Buffaloes also ranked 13th in scoring defense allowing an average of 30.5 points per game last season.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.