LaVar Arrington had an All-American and Hall of Fame career at Penn State from 1997-99. His son may or may not achieve the same accomplishments in Happy Valley, but Nittany Lions fans are surely excited to see another LaVar Arrington suiting up in navy blue and white.
Penn State received a commitment from The Arrington II Var Thursday. A three-star recruit, Rivals rates him as The 41st player in California and No. 31 Among the weakside defensive ends.
Arrington, who is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, had 65 tackles and 12 sacks as a junior at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California. He had offers from 15 schools, including Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Tennessee and Colorado.
Arrington II’s commitment makes him the 21st player in James Franklin’s 2025 recruiting class, which includes the Mater Dei cornerback. Darius Dixsona four-star recruit from Santa Ana, California ranked #53 overall by Rivals. Penn State’s 2025 class is currently ranked No. 6.
During his time at Penn State, senior LaVar Arrington twice earned All-American honors, in addition to the Jack Lambert Trophy and the Dick Butkus Award, both given to the nation’s top linebacker, and the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to college football’s top defensive player. He finished ninth in voting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy.
Arrington left Penn State after his junior season and was selected No. 2 overall. 2000 NFL Draft by Washington, for whom he played six seasons. He played for the New York Giants in 2006, his final NFL season before retiring due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
In 2002, Arrington was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
“This is an exciting time for me and my family,” Arrington II published on Instagram. “We are excited for me to continue my education and career at the school my father attended. Thank you to all the coaches, staff, players, and community for all the support, it played a big role in my decision. We are!”