Penn State wide receiver Dante Cephas chasing consistency

It’s August, and Dante Cephas arrived in Happy Valley over the summer after transferring from Kent State. As a redshirt senior, entering a new system isn’t easy, especially when Penn State demands consistency.

When he got to campus, the coaching staff assigned the wide receiver Drew Allar, the sophomore starting quarterback, as his lifting partner and “chemistry” between the two matured.

Game one against West Virginia arrived quickly on Sept. 2nd, and Cephas ran out onto Beaver Stadium for the first time in the blue and white in front of 110,000 screaming fans.

“Just coming out of that tunnel the first time. The heart racing, adrenaline running,” Cephas said. “You just take that in, and as soon as you get on the sideline, it’s time to ball.”

Fast forward to this moment: the Nittany Lions are traveling to College Park, Maryland, this weekend to face the Terrapins. Cephas found his way into the starting lineup on multiple occasions but is still “getting the coaches’ trust.”

Through eight games, Cephas had 11 receptions for 146 yards as one of the receivers fighting to fill the WR3 spot. The Penn State wide receiver core has unquestionable depth, as several guys have rotated in and out during games.

Harrison Wallace III, the typical WR2, suffered an apparent injury against Indiana, and with no timetable update from James Franklin regarding his return, the rest of the group must step up in his absence.

“I hope I could get the job done and help the team; I just want to make sure that we can do what we can do to end up at the end goal,” Cephas said.

He takes it day by day: gets in early, studies the plays, watches extra film and keeps working. Mistakes happen, it’s a part of the process, but “when you come in and you put in extra work, it all pays off.”

Allar typically spreads the wealth on offense between the receivers and tight ends. Schematically, Penn State hasn’t relied on explosiveness, but Cephas has been a part of several “explosive plays.”

Earlier in the season, Franklin clarified that on passing plays, anything that goes 15 or more yards is considered explosive.

Of his 11 receptions, four have been explosive by Franklin’s definition. His longest reception of the season was for 26 yards against Delaware.

“He’s gotten more and more comfortable and more confident as he’s gotten more reps and gotten more opportunities,” Franklin said after practice on Wednesday.

Regardless of the amount of production he has, Cephas is a team player and is always celebrating the successes of others.

Consistency is derived from connection and communication as a group. Chemistry cannot be reacted by stand-alone elements. They must combine to produce a product worthy of an offensive spark.

“We all just come together,” Cephas said. “Even if it’s before practice or after practice, we’ll meet with each other to make sure everybody in the group is up to par with the plays, signals and routes.”

Allar’s been a motivator for the new Nittany Lion to keep him going when putting in the work off the field, especially during their time lifting.

Although Franklin hasn’t seen enough from his wide receivers and feels like the group is somewhat behind, there’s capability for growth.

“The routes and the catches and the yards and all that will come,” Cephas said.

Amanda Vogt is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email amandaevogt@gmail.com.