LaVar Arrington, a former All-American and Hall of Fame player at Penn State from 1997-99, may have passed on his athletic genes to his son, LaVar Arrington II. The younger Arrington recently committed to playing for the Nittany Lions, much to the excitement of Penn State fans. It will be a thrilling moment to see another Arrington don the navy blue and white in Happy Valley.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 210 pounds, LaVar Arrington II had an impressive junior season at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California, recording 65 tackles and 12 sacks. He is a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 41 player in California and the No. 31 weakside defensive end in the class of 2025 by Rivals. His commitment marks the 21st player in the 2025 recruiting class for coach James Franklin, who has already secured top talent such as four-star cornerback Daryus Dixson from Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California.
LaVar Arrington earned multiple All-America honors during his time at Penn State and received prestigious awards such as the Jack Lambert Trophy, Dick Butkus Award, and Chuck Bednarik award. He even finished ninth in the 1999 Heisman Trophy ballot before being drafted No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft by Washington where he had a successful career until he retired due to injuries in 2006. In recognition of his outstanding collegiate career, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Now that his son is following in his footsteps to Penn State, the Arrington legacy continues to captivate fans and leave a lasting mark on the football world.
The younger LaVar’s commitment comes after receiving scholarship offers from numerous top programs across the country including USC, Oregon, Georgia Tech and Michigan among others.
“It’s an honor to be able to represent my family name while playing for my alma mater,” said LaVar Jr., “I’ve always dreamt of playing for Penn State and I feel like this is where I belong.”