Three-star linebacker LaVar Arrington Jr., the son of former Penn State linebacker Lavar Arrington, committed to the Nittany Lions on Thursday. The younger Arrington chose Penn State over fellow finalists Tennessee and UCLA, which both received official visits during the month of June.
A product of Charter Oak High School in Covina, California, Arrington Jr. is the No. 61 athlete in the class of 2025. He could play either linebacker or edge rusher at the collegiate level.
“They started off with checking in on me making sure everything was good with me,” Arrington Jr. told 247Sports. “Then they told me that I have a full ride with them. But the thing that caught me was when they said they weren’t offering me for the name but for the way I play football. Quoting James Franklin: “If your last name wasn’t Arrington, we would still offer you.”
Arrington Jr.’s father and namesake starred at Penn State from 1997-99. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, the 1998 Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and in 1999 was named a unanimous All-American.
He also won the Butkus and Chuck Bednarik Awards as well as the Jack Lambert Trophy as one of the top defensive players in America. Arrington finished ninth on the 1999 Heisman Trophy ballot.
The Washington Commanders selected Arrington Sr. with the second overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time second-team All-Pro.
