CHENEY, Wash. — A student-athlete's senior year is an opportunity to make a final contribution to the team while celebrating their career with their teammates.
Malik Dotson had a different experience in what was supposed to be his final season at Eastern Washington in the fall of 2025.
"Everybody looks at their senior year as the best version of themselves. You've been there a long time with high hopes, but dealing with injuries was not what I expected. Looking at it now, it gave me a perspective I think I truly needed. It helped me grow in ways I couldn't have on the field. I grew more off the field, and I was almost like a coach-ish. I was a lot older than most of the guys, so I got to see how they learn, how to interact with different people. That's what I got out of not being able to play."
Dotson suffered his injury in the 2025 season opener against Incarnate Word. Despite not playing, Dotson made sure he was present and supporting his teammates as a leader. He remained with the Eagles throughout the season, contributing from the sideline instead of on the field.
"My role kind of changed into a leader on the offensive side of the ball and even for the defensive side. I needed to be a team leader; to bring everyone together, bring in the new freshmen, and make everybody a team. I was just kind of under the radar my first year here, but I have the confidence now that I can talk to the guys and cheer them on."
After being on the sidelines this past fall, Dotson felt he had more to give and made the decision to return for another season at EWU. He was granted a medical redshirt and is eligible to play for the 2026 season.
Dotson described his reasoning behind playing one more season,
"Eastern took a chance on me when I came here from junior college. At the time, my biggest hope was simply getting a team backpack. Playing Division I football had always been a dream of mine, and the support I've received here has meant everything. Coach Best, Coach Pierce, Coach Anderson, and the entire staff genuinely care about their players. Looking back on my journey, it's incredibly heartwarming. I'm grateful for everything this program and community have given me, and I just want to give back to this team and everyone who has supported me along the way."
The 2026 season will be Dotson's fourth for Eastern, and he has 563 career rushing yards with four touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He's added 153 receiving yards on 12 receptions. Dotson originally started his collegiate career at the College of the Desert(2021), before transferring to Feather River College(2022) in California.
In the summer of 2025, Dotson switched his number from 26 to 7, taking over Efton Chism III's old jersey,
"I wasn't nervous about getting #7, and I'm really excited to be wearing that jersey. I asked [Efton] from the jump; I always wanted seven. I was seven in my second JUCO year, so I asked him out of respect for it, and he is such a genuine dude. He believes in me and was all for it."
EWU's spring practice concluded last month, and Dotson was able to return to the field for the first time since his injury.
While he felt good returning to practice, Dotson was more impressed with the growth from the younger running backs, Kevin Allen III and Wilson Medina.
"Spring went well. I've been a part of three springs here, and in my opinion, this was the most productive the running backs have been in those three years. Wilson's a younger cat, but he's a dog. He's a freak of nature and one of the freakiest athletic people I've ever seen. He's learned the playbook, and he's getting through regular Division I practices. He's been doing really well. Kevin is the most improved player I've ever seen play football. I've got all my chips on him, no matter what. Those two give me an edge, too. I still have to work, I still have to learn, and my position is still up for grabs. We all work, and we all appreciate each other."
Since being at Eastern, Dotson has enjoyed being closer to friends and family in his hometown of Lakewood, Wash.,
"It's a blessing. In my first year of Junior College, I was in Palm Springs, California, in the desert, 20 hours away from home. It's different over the phone and in person. Having that connection and love from the people you love is what it's all about."
Being a few hours away from Lakewood, Dotson can maintain a connection to his hometown community,
"Back home, I try to go back, and I have two twin little brothers who are twelve years old. I go back there, and they usually have school field days and field trips. I've been a part of that and talk to their classmates, and they come up to me and say, "Oh, you play at Eastern?", or "You're a football player?" Just talking to them and giving them hope and giving them a strive to do what they want to do, because there aren't many people that do that where we are from."
While being away from his first home, Dotson has found a second home in Spokane County,
"I love Cheney, especially as a small town. It's probably three or four thousand more people than it was in my junior college. Spokane is a city, and I love the big city. I grew up about an hour north of Seattle."
Dotson will graduate in December 2026 with his degree in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in business management. Not without a plan, Dotson has multiple career avenues to pursue in the future,
"It's that and a minor in business management. It sets you up for problem-solving in business and teamwork in business, that aspect of it. And then business management is obviously the side of managing business degrees of things. I have a couple of things. Plan A hopefully, is to take football as far as possible. Next, I want to get into firefighting as well, and then also own my own business of some sort. I picked this major because it is so broad, and you can do so much stuff with it. I have a couple of options, but hopefully we can stay with that first option."
Dotson was announced as one of Eastern Washington's representatives for the Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend last week (June 2). Dotson will represent the Eagles along with Isaiah Perez and head coach Aaron Best at the Kickoff Weekend on July 25 through 27 at Northern Quest Resort and Casino.
Eastern Washington's 2026 season begins on Aug. 29 against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. The Eagles' home opener will be the following week, Sep. 5, against Northern Iowa.
2026 EWU football season tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for six home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season tickets and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
