Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
1 0 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State no longer employs Tay- lor Stubblefield as its wide receivers coach. The Nittany Lions dismissed the former Purdue star in mid-January after his third season on James Franklin's staff. However, a plan that Stubblefield articulated in December has come to fruition in his absence: The Lions have added experience to their receiving corps via the transfer portal. "We are going to be in the transfer portal, there is no doubt about it," Stub- blefield said. "We plan on taking two. We feel like the best way to satisfy our need, which is probably for some older guys, is possibly going into the transfer portal and seeing who could help us win." Two such players picked Penn State during the final days of the transfer win- dow that extended from Dec. 5 to Jan. 18. One of them, former Kent State receiver Dante Cephas, committed on Jan. 15, the same day that Stubblefield's departure was announced. Three days later, Cephas was joined by Florida State pass catcher Malik McClain. The path that brought Cephas, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound redshirt senior, and McClain, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior, to Penn State had a few twists and turns. The Lions thought they had gone a long way toward addressing their needs in early January when they received a pledge from Devin Carter, formerly of NC State. Carter averaged a team-best 17.9 yards per catch for the Wolfpack in 2022, but despite giving the Lions a com- mitment just hours after their Rose Bowl victory over Utah on Jan. 2, he didn't en- roll when spring semester classes began a week later. That was an ominous sign, and on Jan. 11 the coaches' fears were confirmed. Carter announced that he was joining West Virginia instead. Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, by the time Carter flipped, they had been targeting Cephas for more than a month. The Mid-American Conference standout had entered the portal on Dec. 5, and Penn State extended an offer that same day. Cephas, who had been a Class 5A all-state player at Penn Hills High in Pittsburgh, was the ninth-ranked re- ceiver in the portal according to On3. When the coaches began welcoming potential transfer receivers to campus, Cephas and McClain were among the Transfers, Returnees Raise Hopes For PSU's 2023 Season G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G. P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M NEWS & NOTES Malik McClain caught 33 passes for 396 yards and 5 touchdowns in two seasons at Florida State. The junior wideout enrolled at Penn State in January and will be on hand for spring practice. PHOTO COURTESY WARCHANT.COM