LaVar Arrington II isn’t just carrying a legacy name in Happy Valley - he’s now carving out his own path on the field, and that path is taking a new direction. After burning his redshirt during the 2025 season and seeing action in seven games (primarily on special teams), the former four-star recruit is making a notable position switch under Penn State’s new coaching staff: from linebacker to defensive end.
Yes, he’s still listed as a linebacker on the official depth chart, but make no mistake - Arrington is now officially in the edge rusher room. New edge coach Christian Smith confirmed the move during a media session with Penn State’s assistant coaches, and it’s a shift that could open the door for Arrington to make a real impact in a position that’s been a cornerstone of the Nittany Lions’ defensive identity.
At 6-foot-3 and around 220 pounds, Arrington has been given a target weight of 225 by the time spring practice rolls around - a number that suggests the staff sees him as a speed-based edge presence rather than a bulk-up-and-battle-in-the-trenches type. That’s a prototype that’s worked well for Penn State before.
Just look at the names that have thrived on the edge in recent years: Micah Parsons, Chop Robinson, Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton. It’s a role that demands explosiveness, versatility, and a relentless motor - all traits that Arrington has shown flashes of since arriving in State College.
Arrington came to Penn State in January 2025 out of Charter Oak High School in Covina, California, as one of the more high-profile members of the class - not just because of his famous last name, but because of his own athletic upside. His father, LaVar Arrington, was a dominant All-American linebacker in the late ’90s and a College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
That’s a big shadow to step out of, but LaVar II isn’t trying to be a carbon copy. He’s finding his own way - and that way now leads off the edge.
During his freshman season, Arrington didn’t see any defensive snaps, but he did get his feet wet on special teams. Behind the scenes, he was logging valuable reps at linebacker, but with a new staff evaluating player fits and long-term roles, the decision was made to retool his position and development path. It’s a move that’s as much about opportunity as it is about skillset.
And here’s where things get interesting: Penn State’s edge group is in a bit of a reload phase. Four of the top five contributors by snap count from last season are gone, leaving the door wide open for someone like Arrington to step in and earn real reps. It won’t be handed to him - this is still a Big Ten defense with high standards - but the runway is there.
Meanwhile, with Arrington moving to defensive end, that leaves sophomore Alex Tatsch and redshirt freshman Cam Smith as the only linebackers remaining from the 2025 recruiting class. The linebacker room is thinning out a bit, but the edge group just got a little deeper - and potentially more dangerous - with Arrington in the mix.
This spring will be telling. If Arrington can hit his weight target and show he can translate his athleticism to the edge, he could be one of the more intriguing breakout candidates in the early stages of the Nittany Lions’ 2026 campaign. There’s still development ahead, but the positional switch signals that Penn State sees something in him - something that might just click in a big way off the edge.