Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
1 2 M A Y 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 O ne of the most notable offseason roster updates from the Penn State football program featured a prominent second-year Nittany Lion with a fa- mous last name. Sophomore LaVar Ar- rington II has moved from linebacker to defensive end ahead of his second season with the Nittany Lions. Arrington, a former four-star pros- pect from Charter Oak (Calif.) High and the son of College Football Hall of Famer LaVar Arrington, worked at both spots this spring, but most of his reps were as a member of the Lions' edge-rushing corps. "There are a lot of things he can do to help our football team right away," head coach Matt Campbell said. "I'm a guy who's always going to move guys around, because I'm trying to figure out, how can I help the football team and help them?" Campbell noted that figuring out Ar- rington's best playing weight will be a "really critical" part of his transition. Penn State lists him at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, which makes him the team's lightest scholarship defensive end by nearly 20 pounds. He would also be the lightest player at his former position. Campbell explained that Arrington is more physically imposing than his weight might suggest. Said the coach, "I think what's deceiving with LaVar is that he's so strong." Even so, he'll be looking to add as much good weight as possible ahead of preseason camp. His success in doing so will play a role in determining what his role will be in Year 2 of his tenure on the Nittany Lions' defense. Regardless of how he fits in on defense, Arrington should still be a fixture on special teams after spending his fresh- man year covering kickoffs. "I got to watch four or five bowl prac- tices," Campbell said. "You watch him run down on kickoff, and some of the plays he makes, he's explosive and dy- namic. His first couple steps are what I would call 'wow' moments. So, how do we put LaVar in the best situation to im- pact the team as fast as we possibly can? "He's violent through his hips. He's got great hands, so I think finding that right weight will be really critical." ■ Head coach Matt Campbell has added a pair of football lettermen — one from his former school and another from his current one — to the Penn State football staff. Former PSU offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez has joined the Nittany Lions as a recruiting assistant, while onetime Iowa State tight end Chase Allen has been brought aboard as a quality control assistant. Both have arrived in State College after playing in the United Football League. Gonzalez spent the past three seasons with the St. Louis Bat- tlehawks, winning All-UFL honors last spring. Allen was with the Battlehawks last year, too, finishing with 2 receptions for 11 yards in nine games. At Penn State, Gonzalez was a second-team All-Big Ten guard as a senior in 2019. The Union City, N.J., native started 42 games over the course of his career, including every game from 2017-19. After graduating from PSU, Gonzalez went undrafted in 2020. He landed a free-agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals shortly after the draft ended but was cut before the start of the NFL season. A year later, he spent time in the Buffalo Bills' camp but was again cut in August. Gonzalez ended up playing spring football when he was drafted by the Battlehawks in November 2022. He received all-league recognition (it was known as the XFL at the time) following his debut season, and he was honored again last year. When he returned to his alma mater, he became the seventh Nittany Lion football letterman to be a part of Campbell's first PSU staff. Allen doesn't have any prior ties to Penn State, but he's well known to Campbell. During his playing career at Iowa State from 2017-21, he caught 74 passes for 810 yards and 6 touchdowns. He won second- team All-Big 12 honors four times. Allen went undrafted in 2022 but landed with the Chicago Bears as a free agent and spent the season on their practice squad. He signed with St. Louis of the UFL in November 2024. — Greg Pickel LaVar Arrington II Hailed As Versatile Defensive Threat 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 Arrington began his career at linebacker but was moved to defensive end ahead of Penn State's spring practice sessions. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Former Offensive Lineman Among Nittany Lions' New Hires STEVEN GONZALEZ