A foot injury in a preseason game against the Washington Commanders placed Larison on injured reserve
By COLINA HARVEY — sports@theaggie.org
Interview contributions by Lilia McCann, reporter for California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo Mustang News.
In his five seasons with UC Davis football, running back (RB) Lan Larison made a name for himself on the field. He started his college career strong, leading the team in rushing yards as a first-year. In his first season, he was also named to the All-Big Sky Second Team, quickly becoming a well-known, successful player.
In the next few seasons, he continued to rack up a long list of accolades; he was named All-Big Sky First Team three years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024), Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year (2023) and 2024 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-American, according to various publications including the Associated Press.
In his last season with the UC Davis Aggies, he broke a school record, recording 2,387 all-purpose yards. He also ended the season with 1,465 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns to go along with 874 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
He declared for the National Football League (NFL) draft in 2025, and while he was not selected, he was signed as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) by the New England Patriots after the draft. In the contract, Larison was guaranteed $175,000, which is a greater amount than other late draft picks received.
Signing as a UDFA also gave Larison more control over which team he ended up with. In an interview with Larison during the New England Patriots Training Camp this July and early August, he cited Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel as a key reason for choosing the team.
“He’s an awesome guy, blue collar, and I kind of like that about his personality,” Larison said.
Further, he described the transition from the FCS to the NFL.
“Everything’s a little bit quicker, everything’s a little bit faster, but it’s still football,” Larison said. “It’s awesome, just learning how to be a professional and how you practice. […] It’s a big step forward, and it’s been fun.”
He also described how the UC Davis program prepared him for the NFL.
“I would say that we play at a very high tempo at UC Davis, so that’s kind of how you have to play in the NFL,” Larison said. “[The UC Davis] playbook was broad, and it’s even broader here, so it definitely helped prepare me to play at a higher level.”
When asked about his formula for securing a spot on the roster, Larison said it was to “just come every day, do my part, do my job and compete.”
Larison also described one of the biggest differences between his time at UC Davis and in the NFL.
“All the fans at practice,” Larison said. “It’s definitely different, but it’s fun.”
In the Patriots’ preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, Larison showcased his hard work by scoring a touchdown, along with 35 rushing yards and nine receiving yards.
Unfortunately, Larison broke his foot in the same game, for which he later underwent surgery. As a result, the Patriots placed him on injured reserve, meaning that he will not play this season.
The Patriots then signed running back Deneric Prince to fill the fourth-string RB position.
While Larison will not see the field this NFL season, Aggie fans should stay tuned for Larison’s future performance with the New England Patriots and keep an eye on the UC Davis alum’s post-collegiate career in the NFL.
Written by: Colina Harvey — sports@theaggie.org
