Penn State football’s No. 11 has become the most prestigious number in the program, awarded to a linebacker or defensive end with lofty expectations.

In recent years, Abdul Carter and Micah Parsons have worn the number. This upcoming season, true freshman LaVar Arrington II has been chosen to wear No. 11, just like his father LaVar Arrington, who started the tradition during his time at Penn State.

However, should players have to prove they’re good enough to wear it? Two of our staffers debated it.

Nolan Wick: Earn It

Let me start by stating what should be obvious: Arrington has what it takes to become a great football player at Penn State, just like his father. He has the tools to be generational and, hopefully, become a high draft pick in a few years en route to a successful NFL career.

Although Arrington has what it takes to be a beast, the No. 11 has become too prestigious in recent years to award it to someone without it being fully earned via what happens on the field.

Dani Dennis-Sutton and Tony Rojas, for instance, would be ideal candidates. Defensive end Dennis-Sutton returns as arguably Penn State’s best defensive player. His 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss were second-most on the team. That’s not to mention nine hurries, three breakups, two forced fumbles, a recovery, and an interception. The guy is a complete player and a proven superstar.

Meanwhile, Rojas returns after a season with a sack, six tackles for loss, five hurries, four breakups, and three picks. Although he’s not yet on the same level as Dennis-Sutton, it’s clear he isn’t far from reaching it. Given his production and reliability on the field, he’s the type of upward-trending player who’s earned No. 11.

Arrington hasn’t even participated in his first spring game yet, and he already has No. 11 when neither Dennis-Sutton nor Rojas, who have proven plenty, do not? You shouldn’t get to wear the most prestigious number on the team without proving you’re good enough to do so, even if the potential is very high.

Michael Zeno: LaVar Should Get The Number

Where did this notion that No. 11 has to be earned come from?

This isn’t the No. 0 bestowed upon veteran leaders like Jonathan Sutherland and Dominic DeLuca. The No. 11 is merely an informal tradition that goes back to the elder Arrington. You don’t see standout linebackers start with a different number and switch. It may have a deeper legacy than any other number, but Penn State didn’t start making people earn Saquon Barkley’s No. 26 after his historic collegiate career and his ongoing NFL stardom. No. 14 has a quarterback tradition with program standouts Todd Blackledge, Christian Hackenberg, and Sean Clifford, but incoming recruits aren’t being told to earn the right to wear it.

Micah Parsons took No. 11 on arrival and proved to be a worthy successor to the brand. He dominated as a true freshman and was one of the best defensive players in college football in 2019. You might argue that Parsons was an elite five-star recruit and consensus top-five player in the nation who was a slam dunk to be a stud in college, but what about the most recent member of ST1X C1TY?

Abdul Carter wasn’t even the best defensive recruit for the Nittany Lions’ extremely talented class of 2022. Carter was a consensus four-star but wasn’t even considered a top-20 linebacker recruit. Carter got the No. 11 right away and immediately showed why as a true freshman. He became one of the best in college football at linebacker before switching to edge rusher and dominating there as well. He could become the highest-drafted Penn State defender since Courtney Brown and the original No. 11 Arrington went Nos. 1 and 2 in 2000.

Arrington is a definitively better recruit than Carter was, ranked No. 134 on 247Sports and as a top-10 linebacker in the nation. His case is not only propped up by being the best incoming defensive recruit but also as a legacy pick. His father started this tradition, and he has more than earned the right for his son to wear the number he dominated in during the late 1990s. He’s also received the endorsement from his immediate predecessor on Twitter.

No player has ever had to earn their way into ST1X C1TY, and Arrington fits the billing as a high four-star linebacker and deserves to carry on the legacy started by his father.