Dotson, Washington strong WR tandem
Penn State’s 2020 season was mainly uninspiring, except for the emergence of Jahan Dotson as an elite receiver buoyed by Parker Washington stepping up as a freshman.
Dotson scored eight touchdowns to lead the Nittany Lions. He also tallied 884 yards on 52 catches in nine games. Washington posted 6 touchdowns, 36 receptions and 489 yards as a freshman.
Dotson is the more established player; however, don’t be surprised if Washington challenges Dotson’s reign as the Nittany Lions’ best receiver. He’s not resting on last year’s success.
“My biggest focus this year is growing from an I.Q. standpoint. I enjoy knowing the game more,” Washington said. “Understanding defenses more in-depth. I want to see the bigger picture, besides just knowing my assignment.
“I like the way [receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield] challenges me with that, and I feel like that will help me in the future.”
Stubblefield, a former Purdue standout receiver, spoke to reporters a few minutes before Washington and echoed his young protege’s sentiments.
“I’m going to challenge Parker every day. In the spring, he had a lot of reps and a lot of responsibility in terms of making some plays,” Stubblefield said. “This fall camp, he’s got to be smart, and he’s got to go hard. His level of play has to increase.”
It would help the Nittany Lions’ cause if Washington does level up, especially with the season starting with a tough test against Wisconsin. Stubblefield further elaborated on how it’s possible.
“We’re challenging him to use his voice more,” Stubblefield said. “We want him not just to sit back ,and kind of let plays come to him, but to go and attack some plays.”
Washington made Dotson’s life easier after the injury to former All-American tight end Pat Freiermuth (now playing in the NFL with the Steelers). Once teams realized they couldn’t solely focus on Dotson, both players saw more catches.
As good as Washington and Dotson are, they can’t do it alone. The remaining returning wideouts combined for 274 yards on 23 catches without a touchdown. If Penn State will get back to playing a major bowl game and perhaps flirt with a shot at a national title, another receiver or two will have to make his presence known.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith showed flashes last year with 15 receptions for 138 yards. Stubblefield hopes LambertSmith can grow similarly to Dotson.
“He’s had some moments this fall camp where he’s done a tremendous job of, I guess, having that light come on,” Stubblefield said. “Now he’s saying to himself, ‘You know what, OK, I might not have executed the way I needed to execute. I’m not going to let that get me down, and you know what, let’s get this next play.’ So he would be one that I think is moving in that direction.”
Lambert-Smith should be a starter alongside Washington and Dotson. Daniel George and Cam Sullivan-Brown also are among a group of returning players seeking more playing time.
This season, getting on the field as a freshman won’t be easy with all of the depth at receiver. But Liam Clifford and Harrison Wallace are two candidates to replicate Washington’s freshman season.
“Not so long ago, I was in their same shoes. Coming in, it’s a big adjustment from high school to college ball,” Washington said. “Having to learn the playbook, it was brand new, just like it is for them. The coaches push them to understand in-depth in the meeting room like most of our veteran guys know it.”
Clifford is the younger brother of starting quarterback Sean Clifford. He set records for touchdowns (30), catches (166), receiving yards (2,538) during his high school career in Cincinnati.
“Liam is a very focused young man who works his tail off,” Stubblefield said. “But you’ve got to learn a foreign language with our offense. The faster you pick up the offense, the sooner you know what to do. Then once you know what to do, we can work on how you do it. We’re still in that process.”
Wallace is an Alabama native who can dunk a basketball and has electric speed. He already has made an impression on Stubblefield.
“Harrison is extremely athletic. You can tell by his highlight film and what he did on the basketball court,” Harrison said. “So it’s just about trying to fine-tune his skill development as a wide receiver.”