Lan Larison isn't waiting for an invitation. The UC Davis product is seizing the moment in New England's preseason, turning the Patriots' open RB3 competition into something that looks increasingly like a formality.
In Saturday's preseason win over the Eagles, Larison led all Patriots with 74 scrimmage yards — a number that doesn't just look good in a box score, it carries real roster implications. New England has a vacancy at the third running back spot, and Larison is doing everything short of signing the contract himself.
Coaches and observers have reached for the same descriptors: "gritty" and "tough." For a second-year back out of UC Davis — a program that doesn't exactly churn out first-round picks — those words matter. They signal a player who has earned trust in a scheme that demands it, not just raw athleticism that pops on tape and disappears under pressure.
Larison's 74-yard performance against Philadelphia was enough to earn him a prominent spot in the Patriots' post-game stock watch, where his arrow is firmly pointed up heading into final cuts. The Aggies connection doesn't guarantee anything in the NFL, but it doesn't hurt when the player in question is outproducing the competition in live game action.
There are no other UC Davis alumni making notable noise in the NFL this week — McCallan Castles (Packers, LB), Keelan Doss (Chargers, WR), and Daniel Whelan (Packers, P) didn't generate significant storylines during the period — but Larison is carrying the flag with authority. For a mid-major program, having a former Aggie genuinely competing for a meaningful NFL roster spot in late August is the story.
The next week is critical. Roster cuts loom, and the margin between a promising preseason and a practice squad assignment is razor-thin at the running back position. Larison has done his part. Now it's New England's turn to decide what it's worth.
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