There’s no trade deadline in college football, but the news this week that Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus is eligible feels like one of those moves in professional sports where a contender gets a major boost.

And the best part for Cephus and the Badgers is that it comes more than a week before their season begins.

After being suspended one year ago when he was accused of sexual assaulting two girls, Cephus completed the fall semester and was almost done with the spring semester when the university ruled that he had violated the school’s non-academic misconduct code.

But since he was found not guilty, he was reinstated as a student and is back with the Badgers.

For an offense that was already a very strong unit, Cephus could be that missing piece. Wisconsin is obviously a run-first team. There’s a long line of great running backs to come through Madison, and they have another great one in Jonathan Taylor, who may lead the nation in rushing this year.

The best offenses in college and professional football are flexible. They’re able to adapt to a specific situation. Last season, Wisconsin ran the ball well, but the passing game really struggled. It averaged just 6.74 yards per pass attempt, which was 101st in the country. When Cephus was on the roster in 2017, it averaged 8.28 passing yards per attempt, which was 20th in the country.

That’s the sort of impact Cephus can make. He will stretch the field for Jack Coan and also alleviate some stacked boxes for Taylor. The Badgers need someone aside from Taylor to make an explosive play, and Cephus has that capability.

Just look at what he did in 2017 despite missing the final five games: 30 catches for 505 yards and six touchdowns. That’s an average of 16.8 yards per reception. He can go up and get it, even though he is just 6-foot-1. But he also has the burst to make defenders miss in the open field.

Is it fair to attribute Alex Hornibrook’s subpar 2018 season to not having Cephus? Not entirely. But it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t a factor.

This looks like it’s going to have a big impact in the locker room too. Wisconsin players seem genuinely excited to see Cephus back with the team, and it seems they were a big part of it. Seven of the core members of the team, including Taylor and All-American candidate Tyler Biadasz, wrote a letter to the university’s chancellor imploring her to reinstate Cephus. About 16 of them

“We want him to have the same opportunity we have,” linebacker Chris Orr told the media.

When asked why he stuck with Wisconsin, Cephus answered, “Because of my coaches and teammates. Them doing as much as they could to support me through this whole thing. I have no reason to run from Wisconsin.”

After Cephus practiced for the first time Wednesday, Orr told the media, “I think his numbers are going to be better (than 2017). He looks more explosive, he looks faster and he looks like a better player. He was already pretty good and he looks even better.”

Now Wisconsin’s receiving corps is that much better as it already returned its top four from 2018, plus standout tight end Jake Ferguson. When everyone can play to their strengths and not do more than they have to, it makes a difference.

Who knows how long it will take Cephus to get up to speed, as Wisconsin opens its season in less than a week at South Florida. But he has apparently been training on his own and is in good shape.

If Cephus plays to his 2017 level, it’ll make a big difference in 2019 for the Badgers. And in what appears to be a wide-open West, every little bit helps.