Jahan Waltè Dotson (/əˈhɑːn/ jə-HAHN; born March 22, 2000) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Washington Commanders in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. Dotson was traded to the Eagles in 2024.

Jahan Dotson
refer to caption
Dotson with the Washington Commanders in 2022
No. 83 – Philadelphia Eagles
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (2000-03-22) March 22, 2000 (age 24)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:Nazareth Area (Nazareth, Pennsylvania)
College:Penn State (2018–2021)
NFL draft:2022 / round: 1 / pick: 16
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 8, 2024
Receptions:90
Receiving yards:1,076
Receiving touchdowns:11
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Dotson was born on March 22, 2000, in Newark, New Jersey. He attended Nazareth Area High School in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. He left for Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey for his junior year but then returned to Nazareth High School for his senior year in 2017.[1][2] He set school records at Nazareth for most receptions (187), most receiving yards (2,755), and most touchdowns (40).[3]

Dotson originally committed to play college football at UCLA but later rescinded his UCLA commitment to play for Penn State.[4][5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jahan Dotson
WR
Nazareth, Pennsylvania Nazareth Area 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Dec 20, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

College career

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Dotson appeared in eight games for the Penn State Nittany Lions as a freshman in the 2018 season and made four starts, recording 13 receptions for 203 yards.[6][7]

As a sophomore in the 2019 season, Dotson started all 13 games and had 27 receptions for 488 yards and five touchdowns.[8][9][10]

In the 2020 season, as a junior, Dotson was Penn State's leading receiver.[11][12] Against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Dotson recorded eight catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns.[13] Against Michigan State, Dotson became the third Big Ten player since 2000 to have a punt return touchdown and 100 receiving yards in the same game.[14] Dotson finished the 2020 season with 884 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, and was named third-team All-Big Ten for the season.[15][16]

As a senior in the 2021 season, Dotson recorded 11 receptions for 242 yards and 3 touchdowns in Penn State's win over Maryland, breaking Deon Butler's school record for receiving yards in a game.[17][18]

In December 2021, announced his intention to enter the 2022 NFL draft.[19] In May 2022, he graduated from Penn State with a degree in telecommunications.[20][21]

Dotson finished his Penn State career second in school history in both career (183) and single-season (91 in 2021) receptions, fourth in career receiving yards (2,757), second in single-season receiving yards (1,182 in 2021), and second in both career (25) and single-season (12 in 2021) touchdowns.[22]

College statistics

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Season GP Receptions Rushing
Rec Yds Avg TD Att Yds Avg TD
2018 8 13 203 15.6 0 0 0 0.0 0
2019 13 27 488 18.1 5 2 0 0.0 0
2020 9 52 884 17.0 8 0 0 0.0 0
2021 12 91 1,182 13.0 12 6 18 3.0 1
Career 42 183 2,757 15.1 25 6 18 3.0 1

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+58 in
(1.79 m)
178 lb
(81 kg)
30+34 in
(0.78 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.43 s 1.56 s 2.57 s 7.28 s 36 in
(0.91 m)
10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)
15 reps
Sources:[23][24]

Washington Commanders

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Dotson was selected by the Washington Commanders in the first round (16th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.[25] The team originally had the 11th selection before trading down and picking up third and fourth round picks later in the draft.[26] Dotson signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $15 million, on May 18, 2022.[27]

In Dotson's debut in Week 1 of the 2022 season, Dotson helped lead the Commanders to victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, catching three passes for 40 yards and two touchdowns; he was named the Week 1 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.[28]

In Week 4, Dotson suffered a hamstring injury in the Commanders loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The injury sidelined him for five games, but he returned in Week 10 against the Philadelphia Eagles.[29] He was again named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week in Week 15 after catching four passes for 105 yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants.[30] Dotson finished his inaugural 2022 season with the Commanders with 35 receptions for 523 yards and seven touchdowns.[31]

In Week 8 of the 2023 season, against the Eagles, Dotson had eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown in the loss.[32] In his second year, Dotson played in all 17 games, catching 49 balls for 518 yards and four touchdowns.[33]

Philadelphia Eagles

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On August 22, 2024, the Commanders traded Dotson and a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick and two seventh-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft.[34]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Bold Career High
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Y/R Lng TD Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Fum Lost
2022 WAS 12 10 35 523 14.9 61 7 2 -7 -3.5 3 0 0 0
2023 WAS 17 16 49 518 10.6 33 4 0 0 0 0 0
2024 PHI 1 0 0 0 0
Career 30 26 84 1041 12.4 61 11 2 -7 -3.5 3 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ Miller, Stephen (June 23, 2017). "Star wide receiver Jahan Dotson returning to Nazareth High School football team". mcall.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  2. ^ Pickel, Greg (May 2, 2017). "Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan look like the final 3 for 4-star Jahan Dotson". pennlive. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  3. ^ McGonigal, John (August 9, 2018). "Penn State football: Freshman WR Jahan Dotson standing out". Centre Daily. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Groller, Keith (December 20, 2017). "Nazareth's Jahan Dotson changes mind, signs with Penn State". mcall.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (January 6, 2018). "The Natural: Penn State expects Nazareth's Jahan Dotson to thrive in Happy Valley". mcall.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  6. ^ Pickel, Greg (August 22, 2019). "Jahan Dotson was a first down machine in 2019; now the Penn State receiver is rounding out his game". pennlive. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  7. ^ Persak, Mike (August 20, 2019). "Jahan Dotson continuing to develop into 'every-down Big Ten receiver'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  8. ^ Wilborn, Nubyjas (April 22, 2020). "Penn State WR Jahan Dotson is already impressing his new position coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Folck, Josh (October 5, 2020). "Nazareth's Dotson ready to go next level in unusual Penn State football season". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  10. ^ Folck, Josh (June 17, 2020). "Penn State's Dotson preps for season in Nazareth as pandemic turns offseason upside down". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  11. ^ Snyder, Audrey (February 27, 2020). "In a changing Penn State receiving corps, Jahan Dotson takes center stage". The Athletic. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  12. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (January 1, 2020). "As KJ Hamler departs, Penn State turns to Jahan Dotson to lead the receivers". mcall.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  13. ^ Bodani, Frank (November 1, 2020). "Penn State vs. Ohio State: Jahan Dotson puts on stunning display despite loss". York Daily Record. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  14. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (December 12, 2020). "Penn State 39, Michigan State 24: This Time, a Comeback". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Koerbler, Patrick (January 7, 2021). "Gotta Run It Back: WR Jahan Dotson Back for Senior Season". Black Shoe Diaries. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "Penn State football: Nazareth grad Dotson named third-team All-Big Ten offense; Freiermuth tight end of the year". The Morning Call. December 15, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Julaino, Joe (November 7, 2021). "Penn State's Jahan Dotson feels like "a kid having fun" on the field, but his numbers attract NFL scouts". The Inquirer. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  18. ^ Flock, Josh (November 7, 2021). "Nazareth's Dotson breaks Penn State football single-game record". Lehigh Valley Live. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  19. ^ Gallen, Daniel (December 28, 2021). "Penn State star Jahan Dotson declares for 2022 NFL Draft, opts out of Outback Bowl". pennlive. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  20. ^ Linder, Brian (May 8, 2022). "Jahan Dotson skips Saturday's Washington Commanders practice at Ron Rivera's urging to pick up his Penn State degree". PennLive.com. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  21. ^ Fortier, Sam (May 6, 2022). "As Commanders minicamp opens, Ron Rivera says roster still has needs". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  22. ^ "Penn State Nittany Lions Receiving". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  23. ^ "Jahan Dotson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  24. ^ "Jahan Dotson, Penn State, WR, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  25. ^ "Washington selects Jahan Dotson with 16th pick". Commanders.com. April 28, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  26. ^ Jhabvala, Nicki (April 29, 2022). "Commanders trade down in first round, draft WR Jahan Dotson at No. 16". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  27. ^ Jhabvala, Nicki (May 18, 2022). "Commanders sign first-round pick Jahan Dotson to four-year deal". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  28. ^ Selby, Zach (September 15, 2022). "Jahan Dotson named Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week". Commanders.com. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  29. ^ Paras, Matthew (November 30, 2022). "Jahan Dotson seeing lack of targets since returning from injury. What gives?". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  30. ^ McGuire, Kevin (December 22, 2022). "Jahan Dotson picks up another NFL weekly award". USAToday.com. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  31. ^ "Jahan Dotson 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  32. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders - October 29th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  33. ^ "Jahan Dotson 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  34. ^ Spadaro, Dave (August 22, 2024). "Eagles acquire WR Jahan Dotson in a trade with the Commanders". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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