As workouts near, Dotson ready to lead receiving corps
Jahan Dotson suddenly finds himself as one of the leaders on the Penn State football team.
Now a junior wide receiver, Dotson’s looking forward to Monday when voluntary workouts begin and when he expects the truth to be told about the last three months.
“Everyone claims they’ve been working out back home, getting their work in and making sure they’re ready,” he said Thursday. “I just want to put that to the test the first day and see where guys are really at and see if guys have been on top of their games.”
Dotson claims he’s in excellent shape after maintaining his conditioning and weightlifting at his Nazareth home. He’s among the 75 Penn State players who have returned to State College for coronavirus testing and physical examinations.
Like sophomore cornerback Keaton Ellis did on Wednesday, Dotson revealed a few more details about the protocols the Nittany Lions are taking concerning COVID-19 and their return.
Dotson said he and his teammates are staying by themselves at State College hotels and that they’re getting food from local stores and restaurants as part of a meal plan.
“We’re staying in a hotel,” he said. “I’m not sure until when. We’re not all in the same hotel. I know there are a couple guys in different hotels than us. But, yeah, the majority of us are in here (at an unnamed hotel).
“We’re self-quarantining ourselves for a couple days until we can get back together with the team and work out (on Monday). So it’s been pretty difficult just being by yourself and not really doing anything, not being able to do your normal, everyday tasks. I know it’s for the better.”
Dotson and Ellis were the first Penn State players, coaches or administrators available for interviews since it was announced last week that football players would return to campus.
Dotson caught 27 passes for 488 yards and five touchdowns last season. He’ll be a primary target, considering no other returning wide receiver had more than nine receptions last year.
He returned to State College more than a week ago and has been catching passes from quarterback Sean Clifford.
“We were up at the local high school, State College High, just throwing together,” Dotson said. “A couple other guys were there. We were just kind of getting a feel for each other, getting back into rhythm and pretty much just taking off.”
Dotson said he spent the last three months at home focusing on improving the details of his game so he would have no adjustment period when workouts and practice begins.
“I’ve been treating it like I’ve been in season,” he said. “I would do the workouts that I do in season, trying to keep my body strength so I’m ready for the upcoming season. I tried to get better at something every single day, whether that’s my hands, my footwork, my releases.”
Dotson said he doesn’t know what to expect Monday at the voluntary workouts.
“They’ve told us they’re going to try to keep it as normal as they possibly can with everything that’s going on,” he said. “I have no idea. I’m just ready for whatever comes at us.”