Inside The Panthers

Pitt Misses on Transfer Target Dante Cephas

The Pitt Panthers' hunt for a transfer wide receiver moves on without one of the best players available.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt Misses on Transfer Target Dante Cephas
Pitt Misses on Transfer Target Dante Cephas /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have not been shy about pursuing wide receivers in the transfer portal. After leading pass-catcher Jared Wayne declared for the NFL Draft and two other reserve wideouts hit the portal last fall, the Panthers needed both depth and top-end talent. 

Former Kent State wideout Dante Cephas, one of the best at his position in the transfer portal, was the Panthers' top pick but he spurned them and accepted an offer to play at Penn State. 

Cephas' recruitment has been a roller coaster ride. The Pittsburgh native stayed close to home, visiting Pitt multiple times during the days immediately following his appearance in the transfer portal. Then rumors flew that he was leaning towards picking Penn State, but his NIL representation Jordan Rooney and Cephas himself quickly dispelled those rumors. Later, ESPN"s Pete Thamel predicted it would be the Panthers who would land Cephas before he eventually settled on State College. 

Cephas certainly had his pick of schools. He held offers from Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Maryland and Penn State in addition to Pitt. He garnered all that attention after catching 82 passes for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021 as a junior. He produced at a similar rate - better than 15 yards per catch, but with just three touchdowns - in 2022 but played in just nine games and caught only 48 balls. He still earned first-team All-MAC honors in both 2021 and 2022.

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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