Penn State locks up legacy prospect LaVar Arrington II
Penn State has signed its fair share of legacy prospects under James Franklin’s tenure, but you won’t find many who excite fans more than the staff’s most recent signee: LaVar Arrington II. Listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Arrington is not only coming to State College to follow up his father’s legacy, but he’s also coming in to play linebacker and/or defensive end, the same role that his father ultimately became an All-American playing.
“I think, in this day and age, in light of how the game’s changing and how we’re having to navigate through this new reality of college football, what a great story to embrace and celebrate,” said Charter Oak head coach Dom Farrar. “It gives you hope and faith. Some of us are the constant optimists. We want to believe in happy endings. His best days are ahead. It’s going to be powerful and really cool to see that next generation come through Penn State. What a fun story it’ll be to follow his evolution.”
But beyond just the storyline, Arrington’s growth as a player has been fun to watch. According to Penn State’s live show on Wednesday, he ran a 10.75-second 100-meter. That’s impressive for his size. Despite regularly facing double teams and schools constantly staying away from him, Arrington still totaled 45 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hurries this past season. Farrar made it clear that both on and off the field, he’s taken his game up another level since committing to Penn State back on July 4.
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“His maturation process has been both tangible and intangible,” said Charter Oak head coach Dominic Farrar. “Tangiably, he’s just a force to be reckoned with. He’s really imposing his will. At any point, he can take his game to another level and almost take the game over. Intangible-wise, he’s been really grounded and focused. He’s humble, but he’s hungry.
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“He also has the foresight that this high school tenure, this stint, is kind of short-term compared to what’s ahead of him. So, it’s been refreshing and rewarding to watch him evolve. He’s got his eyes set on a bigger prize, and so he’s putting himself in a position to be successful and be prepared when the time comes for that transition.”
In addition to Penn State, Arrington considered UCLA and Tennessee down the stretch. Funny enough, both schools had coaches with ties to the Nittany Lions, as Brian Norwood is part of the Bruins staff, while Tim Banks is the defensive coordinator with the Vols. That wasn’t a coincidence.
Arrington is a four-star prospect in On3’s Industry Rankings, coming in at No. 276 nationally, No. 28 at linebacker and No. 24 in California. He finished his high school career with 145 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries.
