DAVIS, Calif. – Football is a violent ballet, a sort of choreographed mayhem that when done right creates a dance mixed with brutality that makes us all stop in our tracks and admire what we just witnessed.
 
Every time Lan Larison steps on the field, he choreographs ballet moves in a world of savagery better than anyone in the country.
 
This is not up for debate.
 
Dance moves that include hurdling numerous defenders, making one handed catches and at one point he made a behind the back catch, shed a defender and went 60 yards to score a touchdown that turned out to be the difference in an early season win at Southern Utah.
 
During the 2024 season UC Davis football's senior running back has racked up 2,132 all-purpose yards, the most in the country. The next closest, Southern Utah's Targhee Lambson, finished with 1,964. Let's put that into even more perspective, take a peek at the Football Bowl Subdivision and Heisman Trophy favorite Ashton Jeanty from Boise State. The top running back at the highest level in the country currently has 2,164 yards.
 
Doing the math that's only 32 yards more than Larison. Go even deeper and you'll see that Larsion's numbers are spread out among all categories, as he has danced to a beat no one in the nation can step to.
 
Larison has racked up 1,321 rushing yards, 755 receiving yards and 56 kickoff return yards. Also, because why not, the Caldwell, Idaho native has also thrown for 45 yards and completed five passes. Jeanty has just 102 receiving yards and 18 catches, not even close to the Swiss Army Knife production from Larison.
 
Currently Larison leads all running backs in the nation in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and he has twice finished with at least 100 receiving yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game.
 
Now, go take a look and see if you can find the next person to have achieved that feat. You won't find that person because Larison is the only person in the country to have done it once.
 
And he did it twice.

The Aggie back also has been named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week twice this season and he was named the East-West Shrine Game "Offensive Breakout Player of the Week" following his game against Montana State. Larison ranks first in the nation in all-purpose yards, all-purpose yards per game, fifth in rushing yards, seventh in rushing yards per game and 10th in rushing touchdowns. He ranks first in the Big Sky in all of these numbers.
 
He is also third in the nation in total touchdowns, scoring 20 across rushing and receiving, another category he leads the conference in.
 
And it's not even close.
 
Walter Payton was more than just a great running back he was also a special person. That is reflected by the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award given out by the National Football League each year honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy. In the same regard, the Walter Payton Award winner should be more aligned with the legacy of Payton himself.
 
After the Aggies suffered one of the hardest losses in recent program history, falling to No. 2 Montana State, where the Aggies and Larison had their hearts ripped out as a historic comeback fell just short, Montana State celebrated.
 
As the Bobcats stormed the field and surrounded the Aggie players with cheers of joy in what was one of the hardest moments they have had up to this point this year, Larison was approached by a group of kids seeking autographs. Without hesitation Larison smiled, took their pen and begun to sign their gear.
 
Surrounded by the smell of victory that had been snatched from him, and in the face of near heartbreak, Larison was not thinking about himself.
 
Walter would have been proud.
 
Larison has not been the only Aggie who has been tearing up, as in the same backfield as him is another Walter Payton Award finalist in senior quarterback Miles Hastings.
 
During this season Hastings, who set single season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns, threw for 3,745 yards, 32 touchdowns and had just eight interceptions while completing 69.5 percent of his passes. The fact that Larison has stood out so impressively when sharing the backfield with Hastings just proves his ability to shine among elite players, he just dances better than the rest.
 
When comparing Hastings' numbers with other Walter Payton hopeful quarterbacks, such as fellow Big Sky passer Tommy Mellott or North Dakota State's Cam Miller, Hastings stands out. He finished with more passing yards then Mellott and Miller (and again it's not even close), threw nearly 10 more touchdown passes then either of them and doubled both of their passing attempts.
 
One could say Hastings should be considered ahead of those two, but that's for another day.
 
But what that Hastings season does, is strengthen the case for Larison because he had to be outstanding just to stand out on his own team. So, to do that he did everything, and that means everything. Larison has recovered four onside kicks, including securing game winners. He has played nearly every snap of punt coverage and he has finished with four tackles, a pass break up and he recovered a fumble.
 
The many dance moves of Larison, allowing him to step out from the pack.
 
"If there is a better football player in the FCS this year, I have not seen it," remarked head coach and Eddie Robinson Award finalist Tim Plough, when talking about Larison.
 
"If he doesn't win the Walter Payton Award, then that's a shame, and I'm ok publicly saying that now that the season is over. He is the best football player at our level and it's not even up for debate. I know there are great players out there, and I know that quarterbacks a lot of the time get all the praise, but he is the best player in the country."
 
The best player, creating the most elegant dance moves on a field of barbarians. Lan Larison should be the Walter Payton Award winner, and the numbers along with his character says just that.
 
There is no debate.