Mello Dotson
American football player (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ra'Mello Dotson (born February 19, 2002) is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks and was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2025.
Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
| No. 33 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 19, 2002 Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mainland (Daytona Beach) |
| College | Kansas (2020–2024) |
| NFL draft | 2025: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
Dotson attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was rated as a two-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Kansas Jayhawks over offers from schools such as Central Michigan, FAU, and Georgia State.[1]
College career
In his first three collegiate seasons from 2020 through 2022, Dotson appeared in 28 games, where he notched 90 tackles with one being for a loss, seven pass deflections, three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.[2][3] In week 2 of the 2023 season, he hauled in an interception in a win over Illinois.[4] In week 10, Dotson intercepted a pass that he returned 50 yards for a touchdown in a win over Iowa State.[5] He finished the 2023 season, notching 48 tackles with three being for a loss, a sack, 11 pass deflections, four interceptions, and two touchdowns.[6] In the 2024 season opener, Dotson intercepted a pass which he returned 33 yards for a touchdown in win over Lindenwood.[7]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+5⁄8 in (1.84 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m) | 8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) | 4.59 s | 1.53 s | 2.68 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine[8][9] | ||||||||||||
Las Vegas Raiders
On May 9, 2025, Dotson signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent after going unselected in the 2025 NFL draft.[10] On July 22, Dotson was waived by the Raiders.[11]
Carolina Panthers
On July 25, 2025, Dotson signed with the Carolina Panthers.[12] He was waived on August 25.[13]
Houston Gamblers
On January 13, 2026, Dotson was selected by the Houston Gamblers in the 2026 UFL Draft.[14] He retired on March 9.