LaVar Arrington II has officially begun his football career at Penn State, and the young linebacker is already reminding people of his old man.
Arrington II, the son of former Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington, announced his commitment to Penn State in July. Like his father, Arrington II is wearing the famous No. 11. That jersey number has a long tradition at Penn State, as it was worn by Nittany Lions legends like Micah Parsons, NaVorro Bowman and Abdul Carter in addition to Arrington Sr.
On Wednesday, a photo that showed Arrington II standing on the practice field at Penn State went viral. Many people were blown away by how big the freshman looked.

Freshman LB LaVar Arrington II pic.twitter.com/eXXdeuH9C0
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) March 25, 2025
While LaVar II certainly looked massive standing next to a Penn State staffer, he is actually a bit undersized for a linebacker. He is listed on the official roster at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds. The elder Arrington weighed around 250 pounds during his playing days.
Either way, you can understand why Nittany Lions fans are thrilled to have another Arrington on campus. The 46-year-old Arrington played at Penn State from 1997-1999. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1999, the same year he won the Chuck Bednarik Award and Dick Butkus Award. Arrington was then drafted by the Washington Redskins with the No. 2 overall pick in 2000 and went on to have a successful NFL career.
Arrington II will have some big shoes to fill with the Nittany Lions.