Jaquan Brisker, Tariq Castro-Fields and Jahan Dotson kicked around the subject for several weeks last winter on the telephone and on Zoom.
Should they return to Penn State for the 2021 season or declare for the NFL draft?
Ten months after deciding to play for the Lions this fall, they all seem to be happy with their choice despite being out of championship contention.
“Yeah,” Castro-Fields said Wednesday when asked if he would make the same decision again. “These are times I could never get back. You only go to college once. I’m super happy about my decision.
“The season has been filled with ups and downs. But at the end of the day, just to play with my brothers and actually play this year, be healthy and contribute has been an amazing experience for me.”
Castro-Fields, Brisker, Dotson, Derrick Tangelo, John Lovett and Benjamin Wilson are the only Penn State players whose eligibility expires after this season. They will play their final home game when the Lions (3-4 Big Ten, 6-4) take on Rutgers (2-5, 5-5) Saturday at noon at Beaver Stadium (TV-BTN).
Several others such as quarterback Sean Clifford, center Mike Miranda, defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and linebacker Ellis Brooks are in the same position as Brisker, Castro-Fields and Dotson were last year. The NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic.
“Players are coming to me about that, but it really wasn’t a difficult decision,” said Brisker, a two-year starter at safety. “At the beginning it was, but eventually I just knew I had to come back.
“I talked to teammates. I talked to the coaches. Just no matter what anybody really said, I really wanted to come back and prove that we have more to show.”
Brisker is having an outstanding season. He’s fifth on the team with 49 tackles and third with six tackles for loss. He has two interceptions, four pass break-ups and one fumble recovery.
“I’m most proud of just the way this team has battled, especially after last year starting off 0-5 and getting to 4-5,” Brisker said. “Just overcoming adversity and just the way this team has battled, especially the defense. Just the way those guys are, just the way we played together.”
Castro-Fields, a cornerback, missed the final six games last season with an unspecified injury and played through an injury in the second half of the 2019 season. He’s started every game this season and has six pass break-ups.
“I kept being a leader,” he said. “I feel I’m playing way more tighter in coverage. I know the system in and out as a fifth-year guy. It’s complex. It took me this long to actually master it. Just my work ethic and my preparation have improved a lot.”
Brisker and Castro-Fields have helped Penn State rank ninth nationally in scoring defense and 10th in pass defense efficiency.
Offensively, Dotson has emerged as one of the top receivers in the country and perhaps a first-round draft pick. He is one of only two Football Bowl Subdivision receivers with at least 80 receptions, 990 yards and nine touchdowns in their first 10 games this season.
Dotson leads the Big Ten with 80 receptions (fourth nationally), is tied for second (tied for eighth nationally) with nine touchdown catches and is third in receiving yards (14th nationally) with 993. He has caught at least one pass in 39 consecutive games and has at least five receptions in 12 straight games, the longest streak among current FBS players.
“Confidence and belief in myself was always huge for me throughout my life,” Dotson said last week. “Coming back this year, I had the utmost confidence in myself, in this football team and in the things that we can do.”
Dotson, Brisker and Castro-Fields didn’t want 2020 to be their final season when Penn State had its first losing season since 2004. The Lions started 5-0 this season before dropping four of their last five games by a total of 18 points.
“If any of those guys do come up to us and ask us, I’ll always say to think about the team and then think about yourself,” Brisker said. “The decision to come back was never about ourselves. It was always to make the team better.
“It’s always a great decision to come back, especially under Coach (James) Franklin. This is a great program with a great fan base and a great school. It’s a positive to come back.”
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment