Wide receiver Jahan Dotson may show up Monday at the first day of Penn State’s voluntary conditioning drills, armed with a bit more motivation than many of his teammates.

The urge to prove everyone wrong can be a powerful force. At least, that’s the hope.

“A lot of people have (the wide receivers) as one of the weaker spots on the team,” he said.

That, of course, will be a matter of much debate among Penn State fans in the ensuing 12 weeks before the opener against Kent State.

For the moment (and if all goes well for the season), Dotson, 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, is taking up the mantle of leadership for the wide receiver group that lost KJ Hamler to the NFL, Justin Shorter to Florida when he transferred and assistant coach Gerad Parker to West Virginia. Parker is the Mountaineers’ new offensive coordinator.

He also must replace some of the lost productivity in the passing game.

“I know (new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca) is going to have a lot in store for me,” Dotson said.

Taylor Stubblefield, who was an All-American at Purdue, replaced Parker and quickly noted, “Jahan is much more athletic than I ever was.”

Dotson was Penn State’s third-leading pass catcher last season as a sophomore, with 27 receptions for 488 yards and five touchdowns. He trailed Hamler and tight end Pat Freiermuth, a preseason All-American this season. Together, Hamler and Freiermuth recorded nearly half (99) of Penn State’s 217 completed passes.

After Dotson, three of the next four pass catchers from 2019 are gone, and one of the four is running back Journey Brown.

That reality opens up opportunity for junior Daniel George, a record-setting, but rarely used, wide receiver.

George made his collegiate debut in 2018 when he caught a 95-yard touchdown pass against Kent State. It was the longest pass play in Penn State history, breaking a 99-year-old record.

But George appeared in only two other games that season, with one catch. Last year, he had nine for 100 yards.

Dotson said George has assembled some notable moments in practice.

“I can’t wait for him to put (his skills) on display,” he said.

Dotson also said he has been working out at home in Nazareth with his dad and at State College High School in small groups that included quarterback Sean Clifford.

Dotson said he doesn’t know what the first day of conditioning will look like — given the covid-19 restrictions — but he’s eager to have all of his teammates around him.

“They tell us they are going to try to keep it as normal as they possibly can, but honestly I have no idea. I’m ready for whatever comes at us,” he said.

He admitted living in quarantine since March has been difficult. “But I know it’s for the better.”

The questions coaches have after being apart from their players for nearly three months are these:

• Who’s coming back in good shape?

• Who needs to work on conditioning?

“Everyone claims they have been working out back home, getting their work in, making sure they’re ready,” Dotson said. “I just want to, the first day, put that to the test and see where guys are really at and if guys have been on top of their game.”

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