Tag: Dante Cephas

Several Oklahoma targets rank among ESPN’s best transfer portal players

Where did Oklahoma’s transfer targets rank among ESPN’s best in the transfer portal?

Retooling through the transfer portal has become an important part of roster turnover for every football team in America. In large part due to the portal, but also because of graduation and NFL draft losses, it’s become imperative to attack the portal looking for talent.

In Brent Venables first offseason, the Sooners added difference makers Dillon Gabriel, Jeffery Johnson, Jonah La’ulu, and C.J. Coldon. They’ll hope to do it again this offseason with needs at nearly every position group on the depth chart.

The Sooners have been active, extending offers to wide receivers, tight ends, and defensive linemen. It remains to be seen who will be Sooners this spring, but several of their targets appeared on ESPN’s ranking of the top transfer portal players. Let’s take a look at what Tom VanHaaren of ESPN had to say about each Oklahoma target (ESPN+) and where they rank on his list.

Transfer portal stars: Dante Cephas, wide receiver

There has been no crazier time in recent memory for college football than the age of the transfer portal. People love it, coaches hate it, and media is torn on it. What everyone knows for sure is it allows teams to rebuild faster and success to be …

There has been no crazier time in recent memory for college football than the age of the transfer portal. People love it, coaches hate it, and media is torn on it. What everyone knows for sure is it allows teams to rebuild faster and success to be sustained. And any team looking to add [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] will be adding some real gamebreaking ability.

Gamebreaking is more than just a video game power up though, it is having a special ability that makes teams want to have you on their team. The first team with a chance at locking him down? Penn State.

Cephas hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania so getting to play in front of friends and family like he did at Kent State may play a factor. he would be utilized at Penn State and with their top two receivers being gone, he has a chance to come in and help [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and company on day one.

Here is what you need to know about Cephas as he gets ready for his official visit.

Oklahoma Sooners targeting a pair of wide receivers in the transfer portal

Oklahoma is looking to add to their wide receiver ranks with offers to a couple of transfer portal wideouts, RaRa Thomas and Dante Cephas. From @john9williams

As the transfer portal officially opened on Monday, the Oklahoma Sooners saw some depth walk out the door. Mostly, it’s been players that saw little to no playing time for Oklahoma in 2022, but at wide receiver, they’ve seen a bit more attrition.

[autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] made it known last week he’d be entering the portal, and on Monday, [autotag]Brian Darby[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevon West[/autotag] also put their names in the transfer portal.

With the college football world doing some portal shopping, it looks like the Sooners are targeting a couple of wide receivers early in the process. Oklahoma offered Mississippi State transfer wide receiver [autotag]RaRa Thomas[/autotag] and Kent State wideout [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag].

Thomas was a three-star prospect in the 2021 cycle and put up 44 receptions for 626 yards and seven touchdowns for the Bulldogs in 2022. Cephas was also a three-star player in the 2019 class and recorded 48 receptions for 744 yards and three touchdowns.

Cephas had four receptions for 50 yards against Oklahoma in week two of the season, but his high moment came against Ohio, where he posted 13 receptions for 246 yards and a touchdown.

Thomas posted 5 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown in a win against Texas A&M, went for 8 and 73 against Alabama, and recorded six catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn.

Though [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] is playing in the bowl game, there’s a strong possibility that’s his last for the Sooners with an NFL draft decision looming. If Mims were to declare for the draft, that would leave Oklahoma with [autotag]Jalil Faroo[/autotag]q and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] as the only Sooners wide receivers to play significant snaps in Norman.

The Sooners added [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]L.V. Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag] in the portal late last spring, but they didn’t see the field much, so it’s difficult to know where they stand with the coaching staff. Both have experience from their previous stops and have playmaking ability, but Oklahoma would be wise to add some more depth.

Oklahoma will have quite a few young guys competing for snaps, like [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], and Freeman, along with incoming freshmen [autotag]Keyon Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] (assuming they sign).

We’ll see if Oklahoma’s able to close on either Cephas or Thomas, but it’s clear they believe they need to add some wide receiver depth in the portal this offseason to put them in a better position to contend in 2023.

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Notre Dame keeps active in the portal, offers MAC wide receiver

The Irish have their eyes set on a very impressive receiver

One of the best wide receivers that has entered the transfer portal is [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], who played for [autotag]Kent State[/autotag]. The six-foot-one-inch and 186-pound fourth-year junior didn’t quite live up to the impressive 2021 stats he put up but still was a very good target for the Golden Flashes.

During his massive sophomore year, Cephas caught 82 balls for 1,240 yards with 9 touchdowns. Those numbers dropped this year to 48 catches for 744 yards and 3 scores over the course of nine games.

The Irish could have used that kind of production out of any receiver, [autotag]Lorenzo Styles[/autotag] led the team with 30 receptions for 340 yards and a score. With that in mind, the Irish pulled the trigger today and offered Cephas a scholarship.

The Irish aren’t the only school that is interested, as just today Cephas was also offered by [autotag]Pittsburgh[/autotag], [autotag]West Virginia[/autotag], [autotag]Penn State[/autotag] and [autotag]Kansas[/autotag]. It’s a bit too early to know what Cephas intends to do, but the Irish have now put their hat into the ring.

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No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Kent State: Preview, injury reports and broadcast info for Saturday

The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners host the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners host the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Oklahoma is coming off of a 45-13 win over UTEP in a game where the Sooners mostly dominated save for a few minutes in the second quarter. The Sooners played a balanced game offensively, throwing for 233 yards and rushing for 259 yards.

Kent State is playing its second road game of the season after opening with a 45-20 loss on the road vs. Washington. The Golden Flashes gave up a ton of yardage threw the air as Huskies quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns.

Check out our staff predictions for Saturday’s matchup.

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

Kent State at No. 7 Oklahoma injury report:

Oklahoma

T.D. Roof, LB: Out for season

Daniel Parker Jr., TE: Probable (Missed UTEP game with Illness)

Players to watch:

Oklahoma

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], QB: 65.2%, 233 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown.

[autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], RB: 16 carries, 102 yards. 2 receptions, 33 yards.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], RB: 7 carries, 57 yards, 2 touchdowns.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], WR: 3 receptions for 81 yards.

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], TE: 3 receptions for 40 yards, 2 touchdowns.

[autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], DE: 3 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], LB: 9 total tackles (6 solo).

[autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], LB: 7 total tackles (3 solo), 1 tackles for loss, 1 sack.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], S: 9 total tackles (7 solo).

Kent State

[autotag]Colin Schlee[/autotag], QB: 50%, 178 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions.

[autotag]Marquez Cooper[/autotag], RB: 11 carries, 36 yards, 1 touchdown.

[autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], WR: 6 receptions, 105 yards.

[autotag]Devontez Walker[/autotag], WR: 4 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown.

[autotag]Jojo Evans[/autotag], S: 7 tackles (all solo).

[autotag]Khalib Johns[/autotag], LB: 4 tackles (3 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack.

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Best player the Oklahoma Sooners will face each week during the 2022 season

Who are the best players the Oklahoma Sooners will face each week during the 2022 season?

Looking at ESPN’s matchup predictor for the 2022 season, the Oklahoma Sooners are the projected favorite in all but one game; the Red River Showdown. Though there’s been a lot of turnover in Norman, the talent level is still quite high. That doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges, like week three on the road in Lincoln, or the Red River Showdown, but the Sooners will once again be one of the teams in contention for the Big 12 title.

Along the road to return to Arlington for the Big 12 championship game, the Sooners will have to contend with some talented individuals in the conference. Most teams won’t have the depth of talent that the Sooners have, but they have talented individuals that can make life difficult Oklahoma each week.

With the season opener against the UTEP Miners 30 days away, let’s take a look at the best player the Sooners will face each week during the 2022 college football season.