Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
1 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State will have five former players on hand at this year's NFL Scouting Combine, which is set to take place Feb. 27-March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in In- dianapolis. Defensive end Abdul Carter, tight end Tyler Warren, linebacker Kobe King, and safeties Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr. are set to represent the Nittany Lions af- ter spearheading the team's charge to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff this past season. Technically, the combine started on Feb. 24 when defensive linemen and line- backers began the off-field portion of the annual stop on the path to the NFL Draft. King and Carter will be the first Nittany Lions in action, with defensive linemen and linebackers set to perform on-field drills on the combine's official opening day. Warren, Reed and Winston will fol- low on Feb. 28 when the defensive backs and tight ends take the field. It's unclear how much Carter and Warren will want or need to do in Indianapolis. Both are likely top-10 picks. In a mock draft issued on Feb. 18, NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Carter going No. 1 overall to the Tennes- see Titans, labeling him "the best player available in this year's class." Jeremiah had Warren going seventh overall to the New York Jets coming off a record-setting senior season at PSU. "The Jets ranked second to last in rush- ing offense last season, and they desper- ately need another target in the passing game," the analyst noted. "Warren helps them improve in both areas." It's unclear whether Winston will be cleared to do drills after missing nearly all of his junior season with an unspecified injury. He may be in Indianapolis just for medical checks, interviews and other off- field activities. — Greg Pickel Freshman Arrington To Wear No. 11 When Abdul Carter announced in Jan- uary that he was entering the NFL Draft, Penn State was without anyone to wear its celebrated No. 11 jersey. The number didn't go unclaimed for long. The team released its 2025 roster in February, and No. 11 already had a new owner: true freshman linebacker LaVar Arrington II. Arrington's assignment brings the jer- sey full circle. One of the first Penn State players to popularize the number was Arrington's father. The elder LaVar Ar- rington was an All-American and But- kus Award winner before being selected second overall by Washington in the 2000 NFL Draft. Future NFL standouts NaVorro Bowman and Micah Parsons also wore it, and Carter added to its luster over the past three seasons. LaVar Arrington II is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker in the 2025 class who played his prep football at Charter Oak High in California. He was a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and one of 16 players in his class who enrolled in January. "LaVar obviously has tremendous ge- netics and a history with the university," coach James Franklin recently told the Big Ten Network. "But I would say this: We would recruit LaVar whether he was La- Var's son or not. I think that's very, very important. "We want LaVar for what he can bring to the table, for what he's put on tape and the type of athlete he is. You saw in high school, they used him as both a traditional linebacker and as an edge player com- ing off the offensive tackle. He's shown explosiveness there. We think he has a chance to be very, very special." — Greg Pickel Vanover's Bid For Extra Year Denied Defensive end Amin Vanover will not be returning to the Nittany Lions in 2025 after his request for an eligibility waiver was denied by the NCAA in February. Vanover had been seeking one more year after playing in 36 regular-season games during the past four years. Vanover finished the 2024 season with 21 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. Had his waiver been approved, he was slotted as a potential starter opposite senior Dani Dennis-Sutton. Instead, he finishes his college career with 50 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 6 sacks. He also forced a pair of fumbles. A member of the Lions' 2020 class out of St. Joseph's Regional in Montvale, N.J., Vanover saw action in two games his first season, then six in 2021. He played in 13 games in 2022 but missed five games with an injury in 2023. He played in all 16 games for PSU in his final season. Vanover's presence would have been a welcome boost to a room that will have to replace the production of potential No. 1 overall pick Abdul Carter next season. Dennis-Sutton and super senior Smith Vilbert will be back. Max Granville and Jaylen Harvey both played four games last year while retaining their freshman eligibility for 2025. The Nittany Lions also added redshirt junior Enai White via the transfer portal from Texas A&M. — Sean Fitz Five Nittany Lions Headed to Indy For NFL Scouting Combine Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is viewed as a top-10 pick by NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS