Blue White Illustrated

In-state prospect Dotson takes long road to University Park W hen Penn State fans look back on the Class of 2018 four years from now, it's a safe bet that they'll be happy with the crop of wide receivers that signed this past December. By now, Nittany Lion fans are well-acquainted with 8ve-star wide receiver Justin Shorter and four-star wideout Daniel George, but it was the sta:'s 8nal addition, four-star prospect and Nazareth, Pa., native Jahan Dotson, who took this group from great to elite. A member of the Rivals250, Dotson started as a freshman at Nazareth Area, but it was his sophomore season, in which he totaled just shy of 1,200 yards receiv- ing and 16 touchdowns, that put him on the map. The following spring, he gave college coaches another reason to pay at- tention, winning two gold medals in the 4x100-meter relay and the long jump at the PIAA Class AAA Track and Field Championships. By the time he put in that performance, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State were just a handful of the two dozen schools that had o:ered. Dotson's relationship with the Lions had already taken o: at that point, as he had attended his 8rst Penn State junior day in February. During that visit, it didn't take long for him to connect with coach James Franklin and his assistants. "It started when I was still a sopho- more," Dotson said. "I visited for their junior day and I hit it o: with all of their coaches, including Coach Franklin and Coach [Josh] Gattis. I liked all of them. You could tell right from the start that they were fun, but also great coaches who had a plan." Dotson went on to visit Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in the summer of 2016, but many observers felt at the time that the Lions were the team to beat. He also decided to transfer that same summer, leaving Pennsylvania to attend the Peddie School in New Jersey. Totaling 20 receptions for 445 yards and three touchdowns in his 8rst three games, Dotson could hardly have gotten o: to a better start at Peddie. In October, he moved to quarterback due to a team- mate's injury, but his tenure as a signal- caller didn't last long, as Dotson su:ered his own season-ending injury in the 8

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