Top UC Davis and Sac State seniors showcase agility and more on football Pro Day
Lan Larison on Monday afternoon turned heads as the swift, versatile guy bolting down field to catch passes or zipping around cones.
It was all at top speed, his norm over a decorated career as an All-American running back at UC Davis, and he performed myriad drills under the watchful eye of NFL scouts with stop watches and notepads and team logos splashed across their sweat tops and caps.
On the same field, under cloudy skies in gusty conditions, Jackson Slater did his thing, too. The Sacramento State All-American tackle/guard was also hard to miss, which has been the case since February on the NFL pre-draft circuit. He was the big, burly guy, his trade rooted in the trenches. He looked the part as he performed agility and balance drills, doing so shirtless for a horde of NFL personnel to see exactly what they have here.
Such was the theme as the top players for UC Davis and Sacramento State did their thing on Pro Day, sort of an open-job audition designed to see how fast one can run, how high one can jump and how much they can do. A collection of athletes for the Aggies, Hornets and the University of Hawaii went through hours of drills, first inside the weight room then at UCD’s Health Stadium turf. The NFL draft starts April 26.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Larison and the 6-5, 305-pound Slater hope to get drafted. Scratch that. They expect to be drafted, a capper to their rolling momentum as stars who have stood out throughout their collegiate careers.
Both are projected in multiple draft boards to be selected, Slater as high as the third round and Larison in the later rounds of the seven-round draft. If they go undrafted — and anything is possible given the vast talent pool at college football’s FBS and FCS levels — Larison and Slater will certainly draw interest to sign an NFL contract as an undrafted free agent.
Scouts didn’t come to UCD and Sacramento State games and practices the last two seasons for the catered food and fresh air. They came to check out players. These two define “player.”
“Overall, it was a good experience, and it was a fun day to watch everyone compete,” Larison said. “You’re trying to stay calm, composed and relaxed, but you’ve got to have some juice.”
Larison wanted a good 40 time and got it
Larison was hopeful of securing a solid 40-yard dash time, a big deal for decades in the process of evaluating running backs. He certainly is fast with a football in his hands, and the old saying is that film does not lie.
Larison chugged and springed for 1,465 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall for perhaps the finest Aggies team since the start of that program in 1915. He also led the team in receptions with 62 catches for 847 yards and six scores.
He clocked a 4.6-second 40 time on Monday, and Larison showed no ill affects from his Dec. 23 surgery to repair torn ankle ligaments. That surgery and recovery prevented Larison from attending any senior showcase games in January and February, but he showed well on Monday.
“The 40 is the big one,” Larison aid. “I wanted to show my speed. I wanted to show that I’m now healthy and springy.”
Slater played has played all 5 offensive line positions
Slater also suffered an injury late in his senior season with the Hornets, but did not require surgery. He impressed in the Senior Bowl and the NFL scouting combine.
He played all five positions on the offensive line during his Sacramento State tenure — center, both guard spots and both tackle positions. He has intrigued scouts as a center. On Monday, he delivered a 32.5-inch vertical leap, a four-inch improvement from the NFL combine, and a host of scouts nodded and jotted it down in their stack of notes. Slater said he was ecstatic with that effort.
Much like Larison, Slater concluded that he does in fact, “belong here” — in front of scouts to showcase his talents. Each player has also been interviewed by NFL personnel, and now they’re ready to see where their next football stop will be.
“I’m glad I’ll never have to do the 3-cone drill again,” Slater said with a laugh, adding that his versatility and feel for the game will help him pay for play.
“I felt smooth and fluid today, which is always a good thing for linemen,” Slater said. “It’s been four months of this, a lot of work but it’s been a lot of fun. Coming from a smaller, FCS school you never really know what to expect, but there are a lot of guys at this level who can play.”
Small town products eye the big time
Slater said he was pleased and proud with what he’s done, as a player and as an individual in workouts and drills under scouts.
“The Senior Bowl, the Combine, a Pro Day is the Triple Crown for a football player hoping to get drafted,” Slater said. “My dad (John) sends me mock drafts. I don’t pay too much attention and I listen to my agent. I’m excited to see how it goes.”
Larison is an Idaho native who grew up winning state awards for roping and taking down steers, so he’s never been afraid of taking on a charging linebacker.
Slater is from Bellevue, Washington, a bit off the radar coming out of high school who found his sweet spot with the Hornets.
Neither senior left their program despite feelers to transfer to FBS programs to cash in on NIL money — profiting from name, image and likeness — and exposure.
Both shared a dream to have this moment — to showcase their abilities in front of NFL folks.
Said Larison, “It’s always been my dream. Every day, I was working toward this. I never counted myself out. I wasn’t surprised it got to this.”
Said Slater, “This means everything to me. I’ve worked so hard to get here.”