Penn State Receiver Dante Cephas Enters Transfer Portal
The overhaul of Penn State's wide receivers room continues, as Dante Cephas has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Cephas leaves the Penn State football program after one season in which he struggled to find a consistent place at the position. Rivals' NCAA Transfer Portal tracker reported the news Wednesday.
It was a busy day for Penn State in the portal market at wide receiver. Earlier Wednesday, former Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming announced that he will transfer to Penn State with one season of eligibility remaining.
Cephas started six games for the Nittany Lions this season but did not play in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. Asked about Cephas' absence in the game, Penn State coach James Franklin said, "Everything's an open competition every week, and the depth chart reflects that. Then obviously when you're in a bowl situation and you've got three weeks, there's a lot of movement that can occur in three weeks."
Cephas transferred to Penn State after spending four years at Kent State, where he had two prolific seasons, catching 130 passes, 12 for touchdowns. Penn State anticipated Cephas adding a veteran presence to the position, particularly after it had lost top receivers Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley to the NFL Draft. Cephas played a rotational role early and had his breakout game against Maryland, catching six passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns, including a terrific over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone. After the game, Cephas said he was playing faster and "with more confidence."
"There was definitely some relief," Cephas said after the Lions' 51-15 victory over Maryland. "You've always got it in the back of your mind, like, when is it going to happen, when is it going to come? But at the same time, it will all come together."
Penn State receiver Dante Cephas catches a touchdown pass in the Nittany Lions' 51-15 victory at Maryland.
Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports
Cephas caught three passes for 36 yards in Penn State's regular-season finale against Michigan State, one of the six games he started, but lost that role at the Peach Bowl. Franklin said that receiver Trey Wallace's return from injury contributed to the lineup change.
Penn State's wide receiver room could see more change this offseason. One wideout, Cristian Driver, already has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. The Lions will be looking for more production from a group that caught 10 touchdown passes this season. By contrast, Penn State's three primary tight ends (Theo Johnson, Tyler Warren and Khalil Dinkins) combined for 16 touchdown receptions.
"I actually thought during the bowl period that those guys [the receivers] had a really good bowl period," Franklin said after the Peach Bowl. "I thought that was a big part that we were excited about and we made a big deal about with the team. It's a combination of things. I think we're really good at tight end. That's part of it. Then we've got to be able to make sure that we translate what we do in practice consistently to the games.
"One of the things that I think can be challenging is you may not get an opportunity early in the game, but whenever those opportunities come, you've got to maximize them. You've got to maximize them, and we have not done that consistently enough this year."
In describing the receivers, Johnson, the tight end who caught a touchdown pass in the Peach Bowl, reiterated Franklin's key term.
"The big thing for them is just consistency," Johnson said. "They’re a very talented group. "I feel like a lot of people have had a lot of negative things to say about them this year, but they’re really talented and they just need to be consistent and stay healthy."
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