This is one in a series of stories breaking down each of the players on Penn State Football’s 2026 roster.
Anyone who’s followed Penn State Football knows LaVar Arrington II’s name. His father and namesake played three seasons in Happy Valley and landed in the College Football Hall of Fame for his efforts; he also made the No. 11 jersey, also known as ‘stix,’ famous — a jersey the junior Arrington now wears.
That’s a testament to the ability that each of Penn State’s coaching staffs saw in Arrington II over the past two seasons. Listed at defensive end, he appeared in seven games for the Nittany Lions as a true freshman in 2025, primarily playing on special teams. Arrington also earned praise from his coaching staff for the effort he showed in practice, earning a pair of Developmental Squad Player of the Week honors.
Even if he didn’t make an immediate on-field impact, Arrington has a reputation for carrying himself the right way. He’ll need to prove that to a new coaching staff, but that sort of reputation will help him earn more and more snaps as he acclimates to the college game. Defensive end is one of the thinner groups on the Nittany Lions’ roster, so a breakout campaign could be in order.
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 220 pounds
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Hometown: Annapolis, Md.
High School Career: Much like his father, Arrington got to the quarterback early and often during his high school career, recording 12 sacks as a junior. That earned him four stars and the No. 127 overall prospect ranking from 247Sports.
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Where he stands: Penn State’s defensive end room is full of transfers and younger athletes, so Arrington will face a wide-open competition as he tries to carve out a role with the starting 11.
His reputation as a hard worker bodes well for his ability to gain the favor of a new coaching staff… and with a father who spent close to a decade in the pros and was a superstar in Happy Valley, Arrington knows the expectations better than most.
A quote by Arrington: It’s definitely not easy. I have to work as hard as everybody else. It’s not just my name that got me there. I have to work hard, and ultimately it paid off. … As a little kid, the goal I’ve always had for myself is to make it to Penn State, and now that it’s finally happening, it doesn’t even feel real.”
