Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M coaches and especially players are hop- ing that plenty of people will want to do all, or at least some, of the above. "We all know the brand recognition that comes with saying 'I go to Penn State,'" senior receiver Jahan Dotson said. "That gives student-athletes a unique chance to succeed not only in athletics but in academics as well, which is why this NIL bill is such a great oppor- tunity that's been presented to us." Players such as Dotson are poised to make real money now that decades of debate over the nature of amateurism have given way to a new normal in col- lege athletics. Having led the Big Ten in receiv- ing yards a year ago, Dotson is one of the most well-known athletes on Penn State's campus heading into the 2021-22 academic year. When he was asked at Big Ten media days last month to name the nation's best receiver, he replied suc- cinctly, "You're looking at him." That combination of cheeky self- confidence and rare athletic ability gives Dotson the potential to make a big im- pact nationally, depending on how the Nittany Lions fare as a team this fall. Clifford, as the Lions' starting quar- terback, falls into that category, too, and while Penn State lost its most charis- matic defensive star when Micah Parsons opted out last August to prepare for the NFL Draft, the defense has its share of seemingly marketable names, such as Smith, senior safety Jaquan Brisker and senior defensive lineman P.J. Mustipher. Head coach James Franklin has de- scribed the new NIL rules as a long- overdue acknowledgement of the need to treat athletes more like regular students when it comes to entrepreneurialism. Students in the performing arts have never had to worry about losing their theatrical or musical eligibility if they were to take part in a professional pro- duction. No one has ever been kicked out of the Blue Band for taking a paying gig, nor has any computer engineering stu- dent ever been suspended for selling an app that they developed. To Franklin, it's only right that athletes should be able to make money without the NCAA clamp- ing down. Senior wideout Jahan Dotson, left, is one of Penn State's most well-known players after leading the Big Ten in receiving yards last season. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS