Dante Cephas, one of top WRs in transfer portal, commits to Penn State

Heir apparent Drew Allar has a new target.

Dante Cephas, one of the best wide receivers available in the transfer portal, announced on Sunday that he will continue his career at Penn State.

Cephas, a Pittsburgh native and Penn Hills graduate, joins the Nittany Lions after securing 130 catches for 1,984 yards and 12 touchdowns the past two seasons at Kent State. An All-MAC honoree, Cephas has two years of eligibility remaining.

Cephas’ announcement came less than an hour after Penn State confirmed that it relieved wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield of his duties.

Cephas is a significant addition to a Nittany Lion offense that loses three of its top targets entering the 2023 season. Wide receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange left early for the NFL while Mitchell Tinsley ran out of eligibility, prompting Penn State to aggressively pursue playmakers in the portal.

Cephas was always near the top of Penn State’s list of targets, if not at the top. The 6-foot-1 receiver announced that he was entering the portal on Dec. 4, and he had an offer from head coach James Franklin and area recruiter Terry Smith a day later.

Cephas also fielded offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, Pitt, Oklahoma, Miami and more, making him one of the most sought-after players in the portal. Cephas was ranked No. 24 overall among portal players, according to on3.

This level of attention is a nice change of pace for Cephas, who was lightly recruited coming out of Penn Hills. The former teammate of Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy didn’t receive any Power Five offers a few years ago, garnering interest from only Kent State, Bowling Green, Toledo, Eastern Kentucky and Howard.

Now, Cephas immediately becomes the most prolific receiver in Penn State’s room. The Nittany Lions also have KeAndre Lambert-Smith (389 yards, four TDs in 2022) and Harrison Wallace III (273 yards, one TD) at receiver as well as a crop of freshmen from the 2022 recruiting class. Tight end Theo Johnson is expected to return, too.

That group should provide Allar, who’s in line to replace Sean Clifford, with plenty of options in 2023. Penn State might not be done, either, in terms of adding receivers from the portal — even if it means waiting until the summer to bring them aboard.