The biggest question mark surrounding the Penn State roster heading into the 2023 season is the wide receiver group.
The Nittany Lions lost their two most productive receivers to the NFL when [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] was drafted and [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] was picked up by the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
Without those two on the roster, the offense has to replace 97 receptions and 1,188 yards with a young, unproven receiver group led by Keandre Lambert-Smith.
One of the players who is expected to step up the most is Kent State transfer Dante Cephas who was a major producer at the MAC level last season. He recorded 82 receptions, 1,240 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games played.
ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly has highlighted Cephas as one of the most important transfers in the College Football Playoff race.
He writes, “Cephas’ upside appears immense if his power-conference learning curve isn’t too steep. In 23 games over the past two seasons, he caught 130 passes at 15.3 yards per catch with nine 100-yard games. He has experience out wide and in the slot, and he could be a solid security blanket for a young QB.”
Penn State did a good job of getting Tinsley ready for Big Ten football when he transferred in from Conference-USA school Western Kentucky, so there shouldn’t be a big worry about Cephas making the same jump.
If he’s able to use his experience and mentor the young receivers, they could develop into a solid unit. If there are still questions about this group throughout the season, it will be an obvious blemish on an otherwise loaded roster.
The Nittany Lions will have to score points if they want to beat Michigan and Ohio State to get into the College Football Playoff. Cephas needs to play a major role to ensure that happens.
Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=10]