How will the Nittany Lions replace Jahan Dotson? With group effort, running impact
Penn State has an uphill battle to climb in replacing Jahan Dotson.
The 5-foot-11, 182-pound wide receiver was drafted with the 16th overall pick of this year’s NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. He played 42 games with the Nittany Lions, making 183 receptions for 2,757 yards and 25 touchdowns — finishing with two All-Big Ten selections in 2020 and 2021. So, how does the team replace him?
It all begins with Parker Washington.
Washington has an opportunity to solidify himself as the first option for Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford. The sophomore wide receiver had 64 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns. During that time, he displayed the ability to high-point the ball, reel it in and take it upfield for extra yardage.
Head coach James Franklin fully expects him to take over from where Dotson took off.
“He’s done a nice job, obviously, of being with Jahan,” Franklin said at Penn State Media Day earlier this month. “It was helpful for him and his development in seeing the things that Jahan did. (Washington) has made a number of plays here. He’s got really good ball skills, really good body control and is a really intelligent guy. I know Sean has a lot of confidence in him and so does Coach (Mike) Yurcich and Coach (Taylor) Stubblefield and myself as well.”
Washington has displayed the ability to get open in man coverage, displaying his technique on his release, despite being listed at 5-foot-10, 212 pounds. He also understands how to sit down in zone coverage and find his spots to attack the defense. Penn State coaches marvel at Washington’s ability to play above his size and fight through contact.
The expectations for Washington are lofty for Yurcich, who is serving in his second year as Penn State’s offensive coordinator. Those expectations came through studying the receiver’s tape, seeing his quiet leadership in practice through coaching his teammates up and discussing ball placement with Clifford. Yurcich has seen it all with the sophomore and will continue to expect more from him as a leader.
“He’s a veteran guy that we’re going to lean on heavily this year,” Yurcich said during Penn State Media Day.
There’s also Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley.
Tinsley had a breakout season last year with the Hilltoppers, grabbing 87 passes for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns with quarterback Bailey Zappe. Now, Tinsley also wears No. 5 — the same number that Dotson donned for four seasons at Penn State. It’s also the same number that he wore during his junior season at Western Kentucky.
To him, it’s just who he is.
“It’s kind of just a coincidence that Jahan wore it before me,” Tinsley said. “He definitely was a great player and he set the bar high. At the end of the day, I feel like for me, I’ve just been wearing this number my whole life at this point.”
Some have questioned whether he can live up to the hype of the number, but he doesn’t let that concern him.
“That’s people’s opinion,” Tinsley said. “At the end of the day, I’m just focused on helping my team win and getting the best out of the season, honestly. I just want to help my team win by any means.”
He already has a great deal of chemistry with Clifford. The two are roommates — often playing video games together and working together on routes during their free time.
Clifford also played both the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Washington and they’ve continued to build a rapport during the offseason. The quarterback also looks to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a big 2022 season.
“Realistically, our whole room is stacked,” Clifford said. “And I would say the three — when you’re talking about KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington — it’s like a three-headed horse when it comes to separation, accountability on routes, being on-time, seeing what I’m seeing so we can make in-game adjustments, on-field adjustments and play adjustments. I think we have a lot of chemistry there and we worked hard during the offseason on it.”
Revamping the running game
While the passing game ranked 44th in the nation by averaging 255.2 yards per game and many of the yards off of the back of Dotson’s play, the rushing offense struggled. That’s where the Nittany Lions will look to make up for Dotson’s loss by revamping the team’s style of physicality.
Penn State has attempted to lean more into its ground game this season. It’s set to be overhauled coming into Penn State’s opener with Purdue, which was ranked 48th-ranked yards per game (366.6) last season. However, the Boilermakers were 77th in rushing yards allowed per game (157.9).
Despite having to split carries with running backs Noah Cain, John Lovett and Devyn Ford last year, Keyvone Lee stayed consistent. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry in both seasons of his career. He’s played in 21 games with 197 carries for 968 yards and six touchdowns during that span.
Lee was relaxed at Penn State Media Day. He patiently waited for his opportunity to speak about his role on the team and how he planned to step up to the challenge of being the starter at the position, similar to his running style.
No concerns.
“We’ve got weapons in the pass game and the run game,” Lee said. “We’ve got Parker back. We added Mitch to the room. They have Dre Bandz (KeAndre Lambert-Smith) on the other end. We have a lot of talented receivers and that can’t take away from the running game. The running game will work. The pass game will work. We’re just going to keep running the ball.”
Lee is looking for improvement from everyone in the running game. The team averaged 107.8 rushing yards per game on 33.6 attempts for a paltry 3.2 yards per game — a number he calls “unacceptable.” With no running backs rushing for over 100 yards last season, he wants to bring a different mindset to the field.
“We can’t have another year like that,” Lee said.
Bringing freshman rushers Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen into the fold, Lee looked to take them under his wing with Ford also guiding them. They worked hard during the offseason by implementing the training regimen that new strength and conditioning coach Chuck Losey planned for them. The quartet of rushers took it upon themselves to train their minds, by studying tape, and complete the full change.
They want to play “pissed off,” in Lee’s words, especially in Week 1 against Purdue.
“It is all a mindset at the end of the day,” Lee said. “If the guy lines up next to you, is he better than you? Are you going to let him beat you? It’s just a whole mindset.”
With a revamped offensive line — redshirt sophomore Olu Fashanu at left tackle, redshirt freshman Landon Tengwall at left guard, redshirt senior Juice Scruggs at center, redshirt junior Sal Wormley and Cornell senior transfer Hunter Nourzad competing at the right guard spot, along with the lone returning starter at his same position, redshirt junior right tackle Caedan Wallace, the Nittany Lions look to set the tone with their big men up front.
“This goes back to what Coach Franklin says — it’s one of his favorite quotes, ‘As an offensive lineman, you’ve got to take a man from point A to point B against his will,’” Tengwall said. “I think that’s the toughest thing to do in sports. So, we’re just taking great pride in that every day. We’re going out and trying to get better. Each day, we’re taking it one day at a time.”
