Badgers receiver Cephus practices for the first time since his return

"Like he never missed a beat."

August 23, 2019 3:19 AM

Kevin Lewis,

Posted: August 23, 2019 3:19 AM

Updated: August 31, 2021 12:29 PM

by Kevin Lewis

Cephus caught six touchdown passes as a sophomore.
Cephus' last game was against Indiana in 2017.

Madison — Wisconsin receiver returned to practice for the first time on Wednesday. It was the first time he’d stepped on the Camp Randall turf since the spring of 2018. After being found not guilty of sexual assault and being readmitted to the University, Cephus’s teammates were ready to welcome him back with open arms.

“It’s like a cousin or a relative that you haven’t seen in so long,” linebacker Chris Orr said. “It was a lot of energy to just have him back in the locker room. So it was great.”

Running back Jonathan Taylor said it felt like old times with Cephus back on the field. “Flying around, full of energy. Like I said, I was fortunate enough to play with him my first year. It’s like he never missed a beat.”

Cephus, listed as a junior on the Badgers website, was a freshman in 2016. He caught six touchdowns in 2017 before suffering a season-ending leg injury against Indiana. Head coach Paul Chryst knows Cephus is an impact player, it’s just time to see if he can make a full comeback.

“He’s a really talented receiver. He’s really good in the run game. I think what he brings- there’s an energy he brings,” Chryst said after Wednesday’s practice. “He still hasn’t played for a while now. He’s gotta get back into it. I know he has, and I know that we all have a high bar for him.”

Cephus was not made available for interviews on Wednesday.