2015 WSU football player profiles: DB Isaac Dotson

Issues in the secondary -- including a debilitating lack of depth -- has plagued WSU for a number of seasons. Those problems continued last season, however, youth instead of a lack of talent may have been a bigger culprit last season. Regardless, there is still plenty of room for improvement. When he committed, Isaac Dotson was pegged as a player who could help resolve those issues. He hasn't made a huge impact thus far, but 2015 could be a big year.

2014 recap

Dotson was in the mix to lock down a starting position at the start of fall camp. Injuries have been an issue during his career and they continued to plague him in 2014. He appeared in the first two games of the season last year and tallied four tackles. He then sat out the rest of the year with an injury -- per his WSU biography. Although he appeared in games both as a freshman and sophomore, WSU lists Dotson as a redshirt sophomore, implying they expect him to receive a redshirt season for 2014, possibly a medical hardship waiver.

2015 preview

Apparently healthy again, Dotson is one again in the mix for a starting safety job. With WSU now treating the nickel job like a starting position, there are essentially three safety spots up for grabs. Dotson finished spring football at the top of the free safety depth chart with Willie Roach backing him up. The Cougars have a few talented incoming safety recruits, including JC transfer Shalom Lunai, who could compete for immediate playing time. Dotson still figures to factor in, however, and could open the season among the starting secondary. At worst, he would figure to be in the rotation and a core special teams player.

One big question

Can he stay healthy? Dotson's transition from quarterback to safety has been slowed by injuries during his first two seasons. It's impossible to know the exact details because of how WSU treats injuries, but it appears Dotson is heading into 2015 healthy. If he stays that way, it figures he'll see the field quite a bit. But that's a big if at this point.

Vitals

Name - Isaac Dotson
Position - Safety
Year - Redshirt Sophomore
Height/weight - 6'1, 218 pounds
Hometown - Bellevue, Wash.