Penn State Football: Dotson Not Thinking About NFL Decision Just Yet

Penn State junior receiver Jahan Dotson entered the 2020 season knowing his teammates would need him to step into a leadership role as quarterback Sean Clifford’s No. 1 wideout target.

And through eight games, Dotson has more than made good on those needs, hauling down 38 receptions for 587 yards and six touchdowns. The Nazareth, Pennsylvania product has been consistent on a near weekly basis, hitting the 100-yard mark on four occasions and coming up just six yards shy against Indiana for a fifth 100-yard game.

While Penn State waits to see who it will play next weekend as part of the Big Ten’s crossover week, Dotson can look back on a season of highlight catches and impressive ball skills knowing he did more than his fair share this year. The natural question that follows: will Dotson eventually declare for the NFL Draft when offseason finally arrives again?

‘I haven’t really thought too much about it,’ Dotson said after the game. ‘Just because we have some games left in front of us. So right now I’m just enjoying every moment I get with my brothers here. Just try to get better every single day. And basically just go out and cherish the moment. I’m just living in the moment. That’s one thing I live by. Never get too ahead of yourself, trying to go day by day, moment by moment. And just staying in the moment and living it. Just enjoying it.’

Largely as expected, Dotson joined a long list of Nittany Lion predecessors who have opted not to talk about their futures before the conclusion of the season. Nevertheless, it’s safe to assume that Dotson – as noted above – has floated the idea around in his head at some point.

If Dotson were to return it would give Penn State one of the best receivers in the Big Ten in 2021 and a significant safety net for Sean Clifford (who is assumed to be returning but has not stated as such) to lean on. The 5-foot-11 target might not be the biggest, but Dotson has more than proven capable fighting through coverage in the air to make the catch.

Conversely, while Dotson has not been a primary target in Penn State’s offense for very long, he has certainly proven his worth, and when asked if he had performed this year like he pictured things going in his head, Dotson answered in the affirmative.

‘Definitely,’ Dotson said of his performance this year. ‘Obviously, you always want to be better in any area possible. But I feel like this season, it was a lot of learning. It was lesson learning for all of us, not only me. We’ve got to be consistent. That’s the biggest thing. I had a couple games where I dropped off or didn’t really do much. And we had a couple games as a team where we dropped off and it resulted in losses. So being consistent every single day, every single weekend.’

An even more consistent Dotson would be quite the addition to Penn State’s offense in 2021, but fortunately for the Nittany Lions, with or without him, true freshman Parker Washington, with 378 yards receiving this year, has proven to be just as threatening to opposing defenses as Dotson.

With six receiving touchdowns this season Washington now ranks third in program history for freshmen (true or redshirt) behind Deon Butler (9; 2005) and Pat Freiermuth (8; 2018).

‘I told you guys in summer, Parker is a great talent,’ Dotson said. ‘He has all the intangibles to be a great player. I’m watching him at practice every day. Just growing and growing as a player understanding defenses. It’s so cool to watch because you know, you were in those shoes one day, and now he’s growing up becoming a veteran in the program making plays on Saturday.’