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Penn State Nittany Lions Football

LaVar Arrington II, son of Penn State football legend, commits to Nittany Lions

Austin Curtright
USA TODAY NETWORK

A Penn State football legacy has committed to the Nittany Lions.

LaVar Arrington II, the son of former Penn State All-American LaVar Arrington, announced his commitment to Penn State on Thursday via Instagram.

Arrington II plays outside linebacker at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound athlete is a three-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting class, tabbed as the nation's No. 570 overall player and No. 45 in the state, per 247Sports' Composite rankings.

The elder Arrington was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022 after a three-year stint with the Nittany Lions from 1997-99 where he finished with 173 total tackles, 19 sacks and three interceptions en route to back-to-back All-American selections and a Butkus Award and Bednarik Award win as a junior. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting before playing seven NFL seasons with Washington and the New York Giants.

Penn State head coach James Franklin, right, poses for a photo with former Nittany Lion great LaVar Arrington in 2014.

Arrington was known for the "LaVar Leap," when he perfectly timed the Illinois snap on fourth-and-inches to stop the Fighting Illini from converting a fourth down attempt.

Arrington II took visits to UCLA and Tennessee, and also held offers from Michigan, Washington, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and others. He's the Nittany Lions' 21st commitment in their 2025 recruiting class that's ranked No. 8 nationally, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.

PENN STATE RECRUITING:Why 2025 class is overlooked, undervalued ... and rising

LaVar Arrington's son commits to Penn State football

LaVar Arrington II is the son of LaVar Arrington, a two-time All-American linebacker at Penn State who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Arrington also was 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.

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