Lars Rau holds the PT · Starter spot in Illinois Fighting Illini’s punter room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Lars Rau is a punter from Novato, CA who attended San Marin High School, where he began kicking and punting as a junior while also competing in varsity soccer and baseball. He played college football at Texas State as a freshman in 2024, appearing in all 13 games with 24 punts for 870 yards (36.3 yards per punt). His long punt that season reached 58 yards against Louisiana on October 29, 2024, and he placed six punts inside the 20-yard line with two punts exceeding 50 yards. Rau transferred to Illinois in May 2025 with three years of eligibility remaining and redshirted the 2025 season. He is a redshirt sophomore for the Fighting Illini.

Texas Statethrough 2024

Illinois2025 — present