Jahan Dotson played at Nazareth High School in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. In high school, Dotson excelled in football, track and basketball. He won state championships in the 4x100 relay in 2016 and 2018. He was a 4-star prospect, and he fittingly committed to play for the Nittany Lions. In 2018, Dotson was a true freshman playing alongside NFL talent like Pat Freiermuth, Juwan Johnson, and KJ Hamler. The caliber of his teammates explains the modest 13 receptions for 203 yards in his first collegiate season. The following season, however, he improved as a receiver and commanded an additional 8-percent target share (12.20-percent as a sophomore). He remained entrenched as the team’s third pass-catcher behind Freiermuth and Hamler for the second season.
Dotson’s career took off after Hamler departed for the NFL. Freiermuth was still part of the team in 2020, but Dotson seized a 28.3-percent target share and broke out. Leading the team in receptions and receiving yards, Dotson also showed he could play against top competition. Against Ohio State, he caught eight passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. He had at least 100 receiving yards in five of nine games he played that season.
With Freiermuth gone, Jahan Dotson earned a 30-percent target share. Even though some of those targets came from Sean Clifford, Dotson turned 91 receptions into 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned a trip to the Senior Bowl, but did not play or practice after initially accepting the invite. His lack of participation fueled speculation that he was smaller than advertised and was advised not to attend. Regardless, his production profile spoke for itself, and he had nothing left to prove on the field.
Dotson was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. His rookie season turned out to be a pleasant surprise to Washington fans and supporters. He exploded onto the scene with a two-touchdown performance in Week One. He did suffer a hamstring strain that kept him out for five weeks during the season, and his production waned when he returned to the field. However, in Weeks 13 to 16, he averaged 18 fantasy points per game. In 2023, with Eric Bieniemy in control of the offense, Dotson appears ready to take his game to the next level.
