Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
2 8 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 / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 5 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State has signed its fair share of legacy prospects during James Franklin's tenure, but you won't find many who excite fans more than line- backer LaVar Arrington II. Listed at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Ar- rington is not only going to be playing his college football in the same stadium where his father, LaVar Arrington, became an All-American and Butkus Award winner in the late 1990s, but he's also expected to play his father's position. Dom Farrar, Arrington's coach at Charter Oak High in Covina, Calif., is excited about his ability to add to the family's legacy at PSU. "What a great story to embrace and celebrate," Farrar said. "It gives you hope and faith. Some of us are constant opti- mists. We want to believe in happy end- ings. "His best days are ahead. It's going to be powerful and really cool to see the next generation come through Penn State. What a fun story it'll be to follow his evolution." Beyond just the storyline, Arrington's growth as a player has been impressive to watch. Last spring, he set a school re- cord in the 100-meter race, posting a time of 10.75 seconds. Then, despite regularly facing double-teams and opponents con- stantly running the ball in the opposite direction, Arrington totaled 45 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hurries, primar- ily playing as an edge rusher. He also added nearly 20 pounds be- tween his junior and senior seasons to put himself in a better position to make a smooth adjustment to the college level. Farrar made it clear that both on and off the field, Arrington has taken his game to a different level since committing to the Nittany Lions on July 4. "His maturation process has been both tangible and intangible," Farrar said. "Tangibly, he's just a force to be reckoned with. He's really imposing his will. At any point, he can take his game to another level and almost take the game over." As for his intangible growth, Farrar said Arrington "has been really grounded and focused. He's humble, but he's hungry. He also has the foresight that this high school tenure is kind of short-term compared to what's ahead of him. It's been refresh- ing and rewarding to watch him evolve. He's got his eyes set on a bigger prize, and so he's putting himself in a position to be successful and be prepared when the time comes for that transition." Arrington totaled 17 scholarship offers over the course of his recruitment. Colo- rado, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon and Washington were among the more notable schools to offer, but his decision came down to Penn State, UCLA and Ten- nessee following official visits to all three in June 2024. The Nittany Lions won that battle the following month. — Ryan Snyder Arrington added about 20 pounds between his junior and senior seasons at Charter Oak High and finished his final campaign with 45 tackles, including 6.5 sacks. PHOTO COURTESY LAVAR ARRINGTON II LAVAR ARRINGTON II California linebacker looks to continue his rise at Penn State T H E A R R I N G T O N F I L E LB | 6-3 | 200 Charter Oak (Calif.) Annapolis, Md. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 259 29 22 On3 ★★★★ — 36 27 247Sports ★★★★ 134 10 11 ESPN ★★★ — 53 52 Rivals ★★★ — 33 43 Statistics • Totaled 45 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15 quar- terback hurries as a senior • Had 65 tackles, 12 sacks, 9 quarterback hurries and 1 interception his junior year • Was credited with 62 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, and 4 QB hurries as a sopho- more Notable • Invited to Navy All-American Bowl • Holds the school record for the fastest 100-meter time in track (10.75 seconds) • Enrolled at Penn State in January Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on July 4, 2024 • Recruited by former defensive coordinator Tom Allen and defensive analyst Dan Connor • Picked Penn State over Oregon, Tennessee and UCLA • Officially visited on June 21, 2024 2025 Projection Arrington needs to add weight before he can be expected to contribute in the Big Ten, so it's likely that he will redshirt this coming fall. He was also primarily used as an edge rusher in high school, so he'll need time to learn how to play in space as a linebacker. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "Obviously, he has the bloodlines. He's super athletic and productive, too. He played more as a defensive end or pass rusher in high school, so he's going to have to make the adjustment to playing off the ball. I think, for us, that's the main thing I wanted to see, but I also felt like, just based on his overall athleticism and traits, he deserved that fourth star."