Penn State’s miserable football season convinced three NFL prospects to change their plans and stay

Penn State had just completed what could have been a humiliating 2020 season with four consecutive victories and entered the offseason with some optimism. But first, the attention turned to three starters who were ready to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft and advance to the next level.

However, after finding the time over the holidays to reflect, the three players — wide receiver Jahan Dotson, safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields — decided that leaving with a 4-5 record, the program’s first losing season in 16 years, was no way to end a collegiate career.

In a series of Face Time calls among the three of them, they all agreed to return to the Nittany Lions.

“I always had in my heart, I just couldn’t leave,” Brisker said. “It was a little more personal for me and a little personal for the guys on the team. We talked to each other on Face Time calls and we didn’t want to leave on a bad note. We knew we had more to give to the team and to the fans. I just wanted to show that I still had more on the table, and just be a different player this year.”

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Brisker and Castro-Fields are seniors who are taking the extra year of eligibility offered by the NCAA during the pandemic. Dotson, who was believed ready to move on after his junior season, returns after leading the Big Ten with 884 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches. His 52 receptions ranked third in the conference.

Dotson said the three players discussed “every little detail” in the pros and cons of coming back and agreed the decision was the best for themselves, their team, and their families.

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“We talked about how coach [James] Franklin always preaches championship habits and the standard of Penn State football,” he said. “We felt like last year we didn’t meet that standard. We wanted to be those leaders on the team who set the standards for years to come after us. We felt like this was the perfect opportunity to showcase our talents and meet that standard and achieve some great goals.”

Dotson had a breakout season in 2020 with his pass receiving, which included two highlight-reel catches in the Ohio State game, and his punt returning. He averaged 24.6 yards on eight returns, including an 81-yard touchdown. He was named a third-team All-Big Ten wide receiver and earned honorable mention as a return specialist.

“We knew we had more to give to the team and to the fans. I just wanted to show that I still had more on the table, and just be a different player this year.”

Brisker received third-team honors after finishing third on the team with 57 tackles, and first in passes broken up with six. Castro-Fields, who was third-team All-Big Ten in 2019, missed six games the following season with an injury but earned honorable mention status.

He said he decided to come back because “I have so much more in the tank that I haven’t been able to show.

“A lot of self-reflecting with what I wanted with my career here, what I wanted my legacy to be, how I wanted to be remembered,” Castro-Fields said. “That was one of the main things on my mind. Because I wasn’t able to play in my [Senior Day] game was a big deal for me. We grind for a whole year together. Not being out there with my brothers struck home for me.”

The players are excited to be going through an entire spring football practice after the pandemic forced the entire team to return home away from coaches and teammates a year ago. They are confident the 2021 season will be a vast improvement.

“We’re coming back for a reason,” Brisker said. “We’ve got a chip on our shoulder. We’re going to bring back the normal. We can’t accept the standard of how we did last year. We’ve got to go above and beyond.”

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