The Arrington legacy at Penn State is taking a sharp turn. LaVar Arrington II is looking to not just follow in his legendary father’s footsteps at Penn State but carve a new path. Under Matt Campbell, the sophomore is making a drastic change, confirmed by the coaching staff, one that could redefine his career.

PSU EDGE rushers coach Christian Smith announced that they are shifting Arrington from the linebacker position to an EDGE rusher. Though his role was more developmental during his freshman season, it doesn’t mean that the sophomore doesn’t have potential.

Arrington played middle linebacker and acted as the quarterback of the defense. He picked up “Developmental Squad Player of the Week” honors multiple times. Linebackers coach Dan Connor raved about his exponential growth, especially his understanding and handling of a difficult defensive system.

Most of his action last season came on special teams. His effort on kickoff coverage became a real “race to maturity,” convincing the staff he was ready for an upgrade. That confidence eventually led to a position switch to edge rusher. That move also carries a deeper meaning. It echoes a legacy started back in 1997 by his father, LaVar Arrington, who helped launch Penn State’s iconic No. 11 jersey tradition. It was better known as “St1x C1ty.”

The symbol set the standard of elite defensive play without losing the “Linebacker U” brand. In the term, the word “sticks” represents the two ones in the number 11. It signifies an elite lineage of players who must endure “pain and the toll of greatness” to uphold the standard. Arrington selected the number and that quickly became a benchmark at Happy Valley.

The program honored only linebackers with elite defensive skills who could be absolute menaces on the field in this jersey. In recent years, Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter have carried this honor. Parsons originally intended to wear No. 23, the number he donned throughout high school. But that number was already taken by DB Ayron Monroe. During the recruitment process, Parsons developed a close relationship with LaVar Arrington via text.

Arrington encouraged Parsons to adopt the “mentality” required for Penn State football and personally suggested that Parsons wear No. 11 to continue the elite linebacker tradition. With his blessings, Parsons requested that number from former HC, James Franklin, and went on to create history. He became the consensus All-American and a Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. The momentum of success never stopped as he went on to wear the same number with the Cowboys.

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Abdul Carter got lucky because, just with his arrival, he was successful enough to get under Parson’s wing. He trained Carter during his freshman season, and he went on to win the honor even after being a low-ranked recruit. Carter recorded 23 sacks in two years and later cemented his status as a “Mt. Rushmore member” of the tradition by winning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. 

Lavar Arrington will play the same position now. Moreover, his development is just one part of a broader defensive overhaul, which was solidified by the crucial, and somewhat surprising, hiring of D’Anton Lynn as the new defensive coordinator.

D’Anton Lynn’s sacrifice

The jump that D’Anton Lynn made from USC to Penn State is a very significant one that everyone respects now. With the Trojans, Lynn produced a very decent defense that ranked second in red-zone defense and third in third-down conversion rate. So there was no chance that he would have been sacked. Lynn played at PSU for four seasons and was a standout cornerback there.

So his love for his alma mater clearly played a role here when he changed his job for a lower salary. Yeah, you read that right. Matt Campbell revealed that Lynn had “to financially give up some things” to return to Happy Valley. We have seen the current trend over the past month: assistant coaches are aggressively pursued by the NFL.

And Lynn already has experience coaching pro teams like the Texans, Ravens, Bills, and Chargers. So landing a high-paying job wouldn’t be that difficult. However, he chose to be the prodigal son. And Lynn came in at the right moment when the program needed him the most. Initially, the plan was for former Iowa State DC Jon Heacock, a longtime friend of Matt Campbell, to take on the role at PSU.

For some time, everyone thought that was what would be. But a month back, Heacock announced his retirement from coaching, leaving Campbell empty-handed. All thanks to D’Anton Lynn, Nittany Lions fans can now hope for a turnaround this season.