Penn State’s best offensive player made the semifinalist cut for one of college football’s top individual awards. On Thursday, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced the 15 players who were selected as semifinalists for this year’s Walter Camp Football Foundation 2021 Player of the Year Award. Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson was among those who made the cut.
Dotson was the only wide receiver to be named a semifinalist for the award, which could be a good sign for Dotson’s chances of winning the Biletnikoff Award (although the awards are operated by separate organizations). The list of 15 semifinalists will be trimmed down to a smaller list of five finalists on Thursday, Dec. 2. The winner will be announced during ESPN’s College Football Awards Show the following week, on Thursday, Dec. 9.
Wide receivers aren’t typically likely to eventually win the Walter Camp Award, although last season saw that happen. Alabama’s DeVonta Smith added the Walter Camp Award to his impressive collection of hardware that also included the Heisman Trophy last season. The only other receivers to be named Walter Camp Award winner have been Larry Fitzgerald of Pitt in 2003, Desmond Howard of Michigan in 1991, Raghib Ismail of Notre Dame in 1990, and Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1987.
Dotson is looking to be Penn State’s first Walter Camp Award winner since Larry Johnson won the award in 2002. The only other Penn State player to win the award was Vinny Testaverde during his 1973 Heisman Trophy season.
The last player from the Big Ten to win the Walter Camp Award was Troy Smith of Ohio State in 2006.
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