Dotson providing lone glimmer of hope for Penn State offense

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Not much has gone well for Penn State on either side of the football this season, save for the performance of junior wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

Dotson has provided badly needed consistency at wideout after KJ Hamler went to the NFL and has done so with relative ease. To be honest, it's really no surprise he's been able to provide the offense with reliability while showing a knack for getting the ball by any means necessary. 

The Nazareth, Pa. native has been the sole big-play guy this season, especially with some of the following catches.

Weekly tweet 💬

Jahan Dotson (@H55ZY) made an insane grab for a @PennStateFball TD. pic.twitter.com/pDZ1P4qK2D

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) November 7, 2020

Those two catches, on back-to-back plays against Ohio State, proved on a national stage that Dotson was ready for big-time college football. He finished with eight receptions for 144 yards and three touchdowns against the Buckeyes, helping to keep the Nittany Lions in the game. 

That was the lone touchdown of the night for Dotson against Maryland, as he finished with nine receptions for 123 yards.

The performance Dotson has put on since the beginning of the season has landed him on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top receiver in the country. Dotson's steady approach has helped him reach the heights he's attained through five games this season. 

"Jahan has done a nice job. He's obviously been productive in games," head coach James Franklin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "He's got a very steady approach, doesn't get too high or too low."

Dotson's performance has been among the best in the Big Ten, and even nationally. With 527 yards and six touchdowns in five games, he's eclipsed the 488 yards and five touchdowns he notched last year in 13 games. His 527 yards rank 15th nationally and his six touchdowns have him tied for seventh among players whose teams have played at least five games. 

"We just seem to always have one of those guys that is the focal point in the passing game, and most people do," Franklin said earlier this season. "And Jahan is that guy for us right now."

What's more impressive for Dotson is, among the receivers Penn State has had during the last 20 seasons -- Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, DaeSean Hamilton, Hamler, etc. -- he's the only one to total 30 receptions, 525 yards receiving and six receiving touchdowns in the first five games of a season. He is one of three Power 5 receivers to do so, joining Ty Fryfogle of Indiana and LSU's Terrance Marshall, Jr. 

He's accumulated at least 100 yards receiving in three of Penn State's five games, making him one of only six Big Ten receivers to do so in 2020. 

Statistically speaking, Dotson is well on his way to having an incredible season, but his growth as a leader might be what's most valuable to the Nittany Lions now.

"I'm also seeing him be more verbal," Franklin said. "The exciting thing is, he's still got room to improve."

Dotson becoming more of a vocal leader is a bigger surprise than anything else this season, as Franklin had noted multiple times that Dotson isn't a vocal guy. Even Dotson mentioned earlier this season that he's more of a lead-by-example type. 

"I'm not really much of a vocal leader, I just try to lead by example so the young guys see what I'm doing and hopefully they just follow my footsteps," Dotson said after Penn State's season-opening defeat at Indiana.

Fast forward four losses, and Dotson is one of the most vocal guys on the team, often providing the best assessment of its performance after games. Being more vocal means demanding more accountability from his teammates than he has previously.

"That's been a big emphasis, making sure we hold everyone accountable for their actions," Dotson said Tuesday. "We know we have the talent. It's just a matter of executing the job at this point. The leadership has stepped up tremendously." 

Dotson's continued growth, on and off the field, will be on display the rest of the season. On the field, he's going to contend with safety help over the top, making it difficult to get open, and he will be forced to find ways to get by defenders if the ball thrown to him. Off the field, the Nittany Lions desperately need quality leaders; having a guy who backs it up with his play is imperative to helping turn their season around.

If Dotson continues to perform as he has this season, there's a good chance he could be the next Penn State receiver to play in the NFL. Until then, though, there are four games to be played and the opportunity to go out of the season a winner.

It's going to take more than just Dotson to step up if Penn State is to return to a winning brand of football. The remaining games, on paper, seem winnable for the Nittany Lions since none of their coming opponents have a winning record.

Dotson's performance on the field and his growth as a leader off it could give Penn State the leadership it needs to help turn the season around.