The Walter Camp Award, bestowed upon the player of the year in college football, tends to be a quarterback award, and while 2021 likely won’t be a repeat of a wide receiver winning like Alabama’s DeVonta Smith last season, Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson is in the running.
In fact, he’s the only wide receiver among the 15 semifinalists announced by the Walter Camp Foundation and one of seven non-quarterbacks in the running.
Just your daily reminder: Jahan Dotson is very good at football. 📈🔥 @H55ZY #WeAre pic.twitter.com/KcppkK4Nzh
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 11, 2021
Coming off a historic performance against Maryland Saturday, setting the program record for single-game receiving yards with an 11 catch, 242 yard, three touchdown game, Dotson has been on a tear this season.
Dotson is second in the Big Ten in receiving yards (932) and touchdowns (nine) this season, and his 71 receptions lead the conference.
In the midst of his best season as a Nittany Lion, Dotson has recorded 2,507 yards and 22 touchdowns on 163 receptions in his career. He’s racked up another 318 yards and a touchdown on 22 punt returns.
The other contenders for the Walter Camp Award are: Alabama’s Will Anderson, Ole Miss’s Matt Corral, Georgia’s Jordan Davis, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, Utah’s Devin Lloyd, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, Oklahoma’s Caleb Williams, Alabama’s Bryce Young and Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe.
A list of five finalists for the exclusive honor will be released on Dec. 2, as voted upon by the 130 FBS head coaches and sports information directors. The winner will be announced on Dec. 9 at the Home Depot College Football Award Show.
The Lions have had two Walter Camp winners in program history, running back John Cappelletti in 1973 and running back Larry Johnson in 2002.
