Jahan Dotson is going pro. On Monday, the fourth-year junior (the 2020 season didn’t count against eligibility) out of Penn State tweeted his intent to skip the Outback Bowl versus Arkansas and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Spending his first two years on a talented depth chart, Dotson made splash plays here and there while current pros KJ Hamler and Pat Freiermuth pulled attention in the passing game.
In a 2020 season shortened by COVID-19, Dotson had a breakout year catching 52 passes for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns in only nine games. This year, Dotson picked up right where he left off, catching 91 balls for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Nittany Lions’ bona fide number one receiver.
Dotson is joined in opting out of the bowl game by red-shirt senior safety Jaquan Brisker. Brisker is commonly seen as the second-ranked safety in the NFL Draft behind Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton.
While neither Dotson nor Brisker are guaranteed to hear their name called on day one, they’ve both shown an ability to make big plays. If there is a run on receivers or a safety-needy playoff team, Penn State could see two players’ names called in the first round.