Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
1 2 A P R I L 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he Penn State football team has of- ficially moved sophomore defender LaVar Arrington II from linebacker to defensive end this spring. "With LaVar, everything is already switched over to where he's working with me for the majority of his stuff," said Christian Smith, the Nittany Li- ons' new defensive ends coach, in Feb- ruary. "Just with some of the practice tape I watched, he beats tight ends and running backs pretty frequently. I'm excited to see him go against offensive tackles. "He has a skill set that he can win with at the same rate as some of those guys. You watch him run down on kick- offs, he's one of the first guys down. And then when he gets to the point of contact and he's got to blow something up, he's not afraid. Those are the traits that you look for." Listed at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, Ar- rington played in seven games last sea- son, all after Terry Smith replaced James Franklin as the team's head coach. His 41 snaps all came on special teams, where he was primarily used in kick coverage. He did not record a counting stat as a true freshman. Christian Smith said he talked to Ar- rington's father, former Penn State All- American LaVar Arrington, about the decision to forgo a redshirt year. "We talked to Big LaVar, and they're totally fine with it," Smith said. Arrington is not the only Nittany Lion at a new spot this spring. Redshirt sophomore Caleb Brewer has switched from the offensive to the defensive line. After playing both ways at Wyomissing (Pa.) Area High, Brewer spent his first two college seasons on offense. Now, he's switching to the other side of the ball this spring. Penn State currently lists him at 6-4, 293 pounds. In other roster news, three-star 2026 signee Amarion Jackson will start his Penn State career at receiver. The 6-2, 195-pound prospect from Omaha, Neb., was listed as an athlete by Rivals due to the uncertainty over his position at the college level. Jackson totaled 188 catches for 3,300 yards and 40 touchdowns during his high school career at Millard South. LYNN SEEN AS IMPACTFUL ADDITION TO LIONS' STAFF First-year Penn State defensive co- ordinator D'Anton Lynn was listed by On3's Chris Low in early March as one of the new hires around the nation who are on track to make a major impact in 2026. "Lynn was one of the hottest com- modities this offseason for schools in the defensive coordinator market, and it's only a matter of time before he gets a head coaching job," noted Low, senior national college football reporter for On3. "Lynn resurrected a USC defense that was reeling before he arrived in 2024 and has all the credentials any head coach is looking for, especially when you're em- barking on a new challenge the way Matt Campbell is at Penn State. Lynn coached for nine years in the NFL and knows his way around the Penn State program." Three former PSU coaches — Tim Banks, Phil Trautwein and Jim Knowles — were also on Low's list. Banks is now the co-defensive coordinator and safe- ties coach at Auburn; Trautwein is in charge of the offensive line at Florida, his alma mater; and Knowles is defensive coordinator at Tennessee. — Greg Pickel PSU SETS SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER CAMPS Dating back to the early days of his coaching career, Matt Campbell has always prioritized summer prospect camps. Part of that emphasis has been out of necessity; Toledo and Iowa State, Campbell's previous head coaching stops, weren't magnets for talent. But the in-person aspect of the process has been a big part of the draw for a coach considered to be among the college's game's top evaluators. Campbell's approach isn't expected to change at Penn State. In February, the program announced its initial on- campus camp dates. The Lions have six sessions planned at this point, with two having the familiar format of 7-on-7/Big Man Challenge team camps. The dates for Penn State's 2026 football camps are June 2 (Specialist Camp), June 3 (Pros- pect Camp I), June 10 (Prospect Camp II), June 11 (7-on-7/Big Man Challenge I), June 17 (Prospect Camp III) and June 18 (7-on-7/Big Man Challenge II). Programs get 10 days in June to evalu- ate, and they can also use those days to scout camps at other locations. For ex- ample, Penn State has been a regular at the Sound Mind Sound Body National College Showcase at Wayne State in De- troit. This year's camp will take place May 31-June 1, and the Lions are adver- tised as attendees on the 2026 flyer. — Sean Fitz Arrington, Brewer Change Positions Ahead Of Spring Practice G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M LaVar Arrington II played linebacker as a true freshman but has been moved to defensive end this spring. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER