College coach knew Patriots were 'perfect' match for promising rookie UDFA
UC Davis coach Tim Plough knew immediately that the New England Patriots would be the perfect fit for undrafted rookie running back Lan Larison.
The former UC Davis standout fit the mold of the do-everything running backs that have typically succeeded under Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Larison racked up 1,465 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, while also hauling in 62 receptions for 847 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season.
Advertisement
The playmaking abilities as both a rusher and receiver are reminiscent of some running backs in the Patriots' past. It's why Plough thought that New England would be a good fit for Larison.
'When he asked me what I thought, I said, 'Lan, that is the perfect place for you to go,'' Plough told NESN.com. 'First thing I thought was this couldn't be a better fit.'
Larison's skill set is comparable to previous Patriots standouts, like Rex Burkhead and Danny Woodhead. It's a crowded running back room with players like Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson also vying for snaps. But Larison is talented enough to stick around with a good training camp.
He could be next in line of the many underrated players to make a name for themselves in McDaniels' offense.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: College coach knew Patriots were 'perfect' match for promising rookie
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Ortiz pitches Guardians to 4-2 win over Athletics
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Luis Ortiz struck out 10 in six scoreless innings of two-hit ball and José Ramírez capped a four-run second with his 900th RBI as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Athletics 4-2 on Saturday night. Bo Naylor and Johnathan Rodríguez had back-to-back RBI doubles off Athletics starter Mitch Spence (2-2). Steven Kwan and Ramírez added run-scoring singles for a 4-0 lead. Ortiz (4-8) walked two and matched his season high for strikeouts. He allowed 14 hits and 10 earned runs in his two previous starts covering 10 2/3 innings. Emmanuel Clase pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save in 20 opportunities. Austin Wynns had an RBI double off reliever Cade Smith in the seventh for the Athletics. Brent Rooker led off the eighth with a triple against Hunter Gaddis before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Max Muncy. Spence made 22 relief appearances before making his fourth straight start. He gave up four runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. He permitted just two runs — on solo homers — and pitched five innings in each of his first three starts. Cleveland (38-37) won for the third time on a nine-game trip that ends Sunday. The Athletics (32-47) fell to 15-26 at their temporary home, Sutter Health Park. With runners on second and third in the seventh, Smith struck out Denzel Clarke and retired Jacob Wilson on a line drive to first base to keep it 4-1. The Athletics have scored 335 runs to the Guardians' 283, but A's pitchers have given up 459 runs — 150 more than Cleveland. Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (2-3, 4.15 ERA) starts Sunday opposite Athletics lefty JP Sears (5-6, 5.45) to close out the series. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Eagles Given Top Grade For All-Pro Tackle Duo
Eagles Given Top Grade For All-Pro Tackle Duo originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Eagles have the best offensive line in the league, and that isn't changing anytime soon. All five starters on the unit are signed through the 2027 season. Advertisement A big reason for Philadelphia's recent success in the trenches has been its two stalwart tackles, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. Since both were named starters, Philadelphia's line has reached new heights as a collective unit. They have blocked for a 2,000-yard runner, an MVP finalist, and have won a Super Bowl. Pro Football Focus is just the latest publication to speak out in favor of Philadelphia's tackle tandem. In their weekly series ranking each position group, the analytics site ranked Mailata and Johnson as the best offensive tackle duo in the league. "Bookending the best offensive line in football, Mailata and Johnson are the best offensive tackle duo in the NFL and, arguably, the best players at their respective positions," Zoltán Buday said. "Mailata's 95.2 PFF overall grade led all offensive tackles in 2024, while Johnson's 88.9 figure ranked second among right tackles. Advertisement "Johnson's 88.7 PFF pass-blocking grade was the highest at the position. Johnson's 2.2 percent pressure rate allowed ranked second among all tackles and led all right tackles, while Mailata's 3.7 percent clip ranked eighth among all offensive tackles." Philadelphia has had a strong history of excellent tackle play. Mailata and Johnson are just the latest duo to excel. Johnson, the former fourth-overall pick out of Oklahoma, is a five-time All-Pro and considered maybe the best right tackle in modern history. Mailata, meanwhile, was a seventh-round draft steal who has grown from a rugby star to an NFL success story. Few teams in the league have two quality tackles on their roster. Even fewer can claim both of their tandem as Pro Bowl talents. The Eagles are the only team that can call both of its tackles the best at their respective positions. Advertisement It's why they remain a top team in the league. Related: Travis and Jason Kelce Earn Major Congratulations For All-Time Announcement Related: Eagles Represented on NFL All-Quarter Century Team This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Ortiz pitches Guardians to 4-2 win over Athletics
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Luis Ortiz struck out 10 in six scoreless innings of two-hit ball and José Ramírez capped a four-run second with his 900th RBI as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Athletics 4-2 on Saturday night. Bo Naylor and Johnathan Rodríguez had back-to-back RBI doubles off Athletics starter Mitch Spence (2-2). Steven Kwan and Ramírez added run-scoring singles for a 4-0 lead. Ortiz (4-8) walked two and matched his season high for strikeouts. He allowed 14 hits and 10 earned runs in his two previous starts covering 10 2/3 innings. Emmanuel Clase pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save in 20 opportunities. Austin Wynns had an RBI double off reliever Cade Smith in the seventh for the Athletics. Brent Rooker led off the eighth with a triple against Hunter Gaddis before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Max Muncy. Spence made 22 relief appearances before making his fourth straight start. He gave up four runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. He permitted just two runs — on solo homers — and pitched five innings in each of his first three starts. Cleveland (38-37) won for the third time on a nine-game trip that ends Sunday. The Athletics (32-47) fell to 15-26 at their temporary home, Sutter Health Park. Key moment With runners on second and third in the seventh, Smith struck out Denzel Clarke and retired Jacob Wilson on a line drive to first base to keep it 4-1. Key stat The Athletics have scored 335 runs to the Guardians' 283, but A's pitchers have given up 459 runs — 150 more than Cleveland. Up next Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (2-3, 4.15 ERA) starts Sunday opposite Athletics lefty JP Sears (5-6, 5.45) to close out the series. ___ AP MLB:
