Harrison 'Tre' Wallace, taking cues from Jahan Dotson, making strides

Harrison ‘Tre’ Wallace could have done worse than his first mentor upon arriving at Penn State. Landing with the Nittany Lions last May as a late addition to the Class of 2021, the receiver found himself under the wing of veteran teammate Jahan Dotson.

What to do, and maybe more important, what not to do, all filtered from Dotson to Wallace. And with the All-Big Ten receiver on the precipice of a huge senior season with the Nittany Lions, Wallace made sure to take soak it up.

After all, even before Wallace arrived at Penn State, he understood the type of player Dotson had proven himself to be.

“Jahan is just Jahan,” Wallace said, reflecting on his former teammate. “He does things that a lot of people can’t do, but he does things that a lot of people can do. It’s just certain things that he does that help him stand out on the field.”

Seeing those qualities translate into a first-round selection in last month’s NFL Draft, Dotson taken 16th overall by the Washington Commanders, Wallace also saw two crucial elements to his personal development. 

Happy for his friend and mentor, Wallace was admittedly “super excited” for Dotson, and called to offer congratulations. “It’s just great seeing somebody that took under their wing and make it to the next level, especially in the first round,” he said.

Harrison Wallace’s path forward

Wallace also had a blueprint for the road necessary to reach the same destination.

Crediting Dotson as being the type of player who is going to constantly “put in the work,” the before practice, after practice, living in the film room ethos demonstrated daily is important for Wallace as he embarks on his second season in the program.

With an opportunity at hand, Penn State’s offense struggled last season to find much consistency among its wideouts after Dotson and sophomore Parker Washington, Wallace has worked himself into the conversation as a viable candidate to help fill out the room in 2022. 

His leaping touchdown in the Blue-White Game from a Christian Veilleux pass in 7-on-7 action was arguably the play of the day. But to turn that type of highlight-reel grab into a bigger role on the field this season, Wallace will have to continue the development he’s worked to achieve in the game.

A three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball at Pike Road in Alabama, Wallace didn’t even pick up the game of football until his junior year. Even more recently, his first months at Penn State were the first time in his playing career that he’d narrowed his focus to just football. 

Next steps

While the specialization has allowed for more time to worry about just football, and there has been some skill carry over from his other sports to football, Wallace has allowed the process of development to run its course. 

“Getting off for releases, catching it, is something that you can gain a little bit from other sports, but you really have to learn it,” Wallace said. “I learned a lot last year from my teammates and my coaches, from Jahan, and certain techniques I can use to get up and catch the ball. So that will better me as a football player.

“When I first got here, I can say that the game was speeding, so I felt like I was trying to rush everything. But being here over time, it’s definitely slowed down. It gives your mind time to think. You don’t have to worry about rushing.”

Happy with the spring work he’d put in with the Nittany Lions individually and for the team as a whole, Wallace has two more months to build on a foundation already laid ahead of the start of Penn State’s preseason camp in August.