UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown and senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson both earned weekly accolades from the Big Ten on Monday. Brown was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, while Dotson earned Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week with Purdue's Aidan O'Connell.
Brown is Penn State's second honoree on defense this season, joining Brandon Smith on Sept. 20 (Auburn). Dotson is also Penn State's second winner on offense this season, joining Sean Clifford on Sept. 27 (Villanova). Penn State has an offensive winner and defensive winner on the same week for the first time since 2017, when Saquon Barkley and Jason Cabinda both won it following the Michigan game.
Ji'Ayir Brown
- Brown had an 87-yard pick-six at Maryland to help seal the victory. It is the fifth-longest interception return in school history.
- Brown's four interceptions this season are the most by a PSU player since Amani Oruwariye had four in 2017.
- Brown has a hand in six takeaways this season (four interceptions, two fumble recoveries). He is the first Nittany Lion with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in a season since current assistant recruiting coordinator Alan Zemaitis in 2005 (six interceptions, two fumble recoveries)
- Brown's four interceptions lead the Big Ten and rank third in the FBS.
Jahan Dotson
- Dotson recorded a career-high and program-record 242 receiving yards at Maryland, bettering Deon Butler's 216 yards vs. Northwestern in 2006.
- Dotson also tied career highs with 11 receptions and three touchdowns against the Terrapins, his fifth career multi-touchdown game.
- Dotson is the only Power Five receiver and one of two FBS receivers with 240 yards and three touchdowns in a game this season, joining Northern Illinois' Trayvon Rudolph (14, 309, 3 vs. Kent State).
- Dotson is one of two FBS receivers, and the only Power Five receiver, with at least 70 receptions, 930 yards and nine touchdowns in their first nine games of the season, joining Western Kentucky's Jerreth Sterns (104, 1,276, 11).
- Dotson is the first Big Ten receiver with at least 70 receptions, 930 yards and nine touchdowns in the first nine games of a season since Northwestern's Austin Carr (70, 1,010, 10) in 2016.
- The senior has a reception in 38-straight games, dating back to October 20, 2018 against Indiana, which ranks fifth among current FBS players.
- Dotson has five or more receptions in 11-straight games, dating back to the Michigan State game in 2020, the longest streak among current FBS players.
- Dotson is the only Nittany Lion in program history to catch at least five passes in 11 consecutive games.
- Dotson leads the Big Ten in 2021 in receptions (71, t-6th nationally), and is second in receiving scores (9, 6th), receiving yards (932, 11th) and receiving yards per game (103.6, 11th).
- The 71 grabs are currently the fourth-most in a season at Penn State, while his 932 yards are ninth and nine touchdown receptions rank sixth.
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The 2021 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.