Wide receivers ready to prove ability
There are reasons to have doubts about the Penn State receiving corps heading into the 2020 season.
KJ Hamler had 56 catches for 904 yards with eight touchdowns on his way to getting drafted by the Denver Broncos. Justin Shorter and Mac Hippenhammer have transferred to other schools.
Junior Jahan Dotson is the elder statesman of a group of wideouts that includes redshirt freshman John Dunmore, redshirt sophomore Daniel Jones and a redshirt freshman TJ Jones.
Other than Dotson, the majority of the unit hasn’t had much game experience playing, but the Nazareth, Pa., native has heard the comments and has a response.
“We have to come out and prove that we’re the best group on the team,” Dotson said. “It has to start from day one. We have to show that we’re the group that works the hardest.
“A lot of people have us as one of the weaker spots. We’re going to prove ourselves every day.”
That hopefully started for Dotson and his band of pass-catchers Monday. Dotson said he took a COVID-19 test as part of the first wave of Nittany Lions football players who arrived back on campus last week and was sequestered at a hotel in University Park. It’s different, but Dotson didn’t seem too bothered by the changes.
“I’m going to adapt to whatever
environment that I need to so that we can be successful,” Dotson said. “It’s a sacrifice. But sacrifice is one of the core values of our team.”
Dotson caught 27 passes for 488 yards and five touchdowns last year, and people in the program believe that is the tip of the iceberg for him. Taylor Stubblefield, Penn
State’s wide receivers coach, holds the Big Ten record for career receptions (325) from his time at Purdue from 200104. Stubblefield racked up 3,629 yards and 27 touchdowns as a Boilermaker.
Stubblefield is confident Dotson can exceed the standard he set.
“Jahan is much more athletic than I ever was,” Stubblefield told reporters in
April. “He can do some things naturally that I couldn’t. I was more of a technical-skilled guy. He’s a guy that has more athletic ability than I had.”
This season will be weird, with likely restrictions and guidelines surrounding any return to play. Athletes will have to be more cautious than ever.
“There is going to have to be some accountability toward guys going out and the risk of getting sick,” Dotson said. “That comes with a leadership role. Honestly, I’m just going have to take it on myself, to let guys know that, ‘We need you. We need everyone. All hands on all deck.’ ”