When LaVar Arrington II was a young child, he watched his dad’s Penn State highlights “over and over and over again.” On Wednesday, surrounded by his family, Arrington put pen to paper, following in the footsteps of his father and signing with the Nittany Lions.
Arrington’s name may be familiar, but he wants to carve out his own legacy.
“It’s definitely not easy. I had to work hard, just like everybody else. It was not just my name that got me there,” Arrington said. “I had to work hard, and it ultimately paid off.”
Arrington remembers it all. Like the time he joined his father alongside Penn State’s game captains for the coin toss prior to a win over Michigan State in 2016. It was a moment he called a “milestone” and “the start of what was yet to come.”
What exactly is yet to come from the young Arrington? James Franklin and his staff seem to believe something special. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Arrington has skyrocketed up recruiting rankings over his senior year. He’s set to join four-star offensive lineman Malachi Goodman as one of two Nittany Lion representatives in the Navy All-American Game on Jan. 11.
“Your development from last year to this year, I think you’re one of the most improved players in the country,” Franklin told Arrington on a livestream. “We think you’re coming at the perfect time, because your trajectory is just through the roof right now.”
Franklin assured Arrington that he “earned this” on his own. Penn State would’ve still recruited Arrington, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 linebacker in the country, whether his father was one of the greatest players in program history or not. Alan Zemaitis, a former letterman and the team’s recruiting coordinator for personnel, offered similar sentiment.
“ManMan (Arrington II’s nickname), it’s time to start your own legacy now,” Zemaitis said. “It’s time to step outside of your dad’s shadow and it’s time to pave your own way. … This is going to be a match made in heaven, man, and you’re going to do big things here.”
With star defensive end Abdul Carter likely to enter the NFL Draft this spring, the No. 11 jersey which Arrington’s father famously wore will soon come available. Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, who also wore the number, welcomed Arrington into the program on Wednesday.
“It’s sticks city for life,” Parsons said. “And if you carry the torch, man, may your best wishes be with you.”
Arrington already has a plan in place to carry on his father’s legacy while creating a path of his own.
“Don’t be late. That’s really it,” Arrington said. “Just work hard in the weight room, don’t be late to any meetings or the workouts or anything like that. That’s really it.”
