The Nittany Lions have inherited a Penn State football tradition.
LaVar Arrington II, the son of former Penn State All-American LaVar Arrington, announced his commitment to Penn State via Instagram on Thursday.
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Arrington II is a three-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting class and is ranked as the No. 570 player and No. 38 athlete in the nation according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound athlete attends Charter Oak High School in Covina, California.
Arrington played three years with the Nittany Lions from 1997-99, totaling 173 tackles, 19 sacks and three interceptions while being named an All-American two years in a row and winning the Butkus and Bednarik Awards as a junior before being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting before playing seven NFL seasons with Washington and the New York Giants.
Arrington was known for the “Rubber Leap,” a perfectly timed snap on fourth down at Illinois that thwarted a Fighting Illini fourth-down attempt.
Arrington II visited UCLA and Tennessee and also held offers from Michigan, Washington, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State, among others. He is the Nittany Lions' No. 21 player in the 2025 freshman class and is ranked No. 8 nationally, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
LaVar Arrington's son to play football at Penn State
LaVar Arrington II is the son of LaVar Arrington, a two-time All-American at Penn State and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Arrington was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Arrington II, a three-star recruit, is also expected to play linebacker for the Nittany Lions.
