According to multiple reports, former Badgers wide receiver Quintez Cephus has taken steps to apply for readmission to Wisconsin.
The reports from WISC-TV, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and WOZN state Cephus is asking for a response from the university by Thursday.
According to Wisconsin State Legislature in UWS 17.18, "Petition for restoration of rights after suspension or expulsion" - which is also referenced in the WOZN and a previous Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article - states:
"A respondent who has been expelled may petition for the right to apply for readmission. The petition shall be in writing and directed to the chief administrative officer of the institution from which the respondent was suspended or expelled or of a different University of Wisconsin institution to which the respondent seeks admission. The chief administrative officer shall make the readmission decision. In cases of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking cases, the readmission decision should be made in consultation with the Title IX coordinator, and the complainant should be notified of any change to the disciplinary outcome."
WKOW said "the move is the next step in clearing his record."
A jury found Cephus not guilty on two charges of sexual assault, one second-degree and one third-degree, last week.
Last August, Wisconsin suspended Cephus from the football team for violating the UW Department of Athletics’ Student-Athlete Discipline Policy. As a couple of the aforementioned reports also noted, he was later expelled during the spring semester.
In a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article initially published Monday and updated on Tuesday, Cephus stated "trying to get reinstated is the biggest thing right now so I can continue my education." The same piece also said a decision had not been made on whether Cephus would come back to UW or seek to enroll at another university.
Several current and former players took to social media with a graphic of Cephus and the phrase "Wisconsin Don't Delay, Let QT Play," and the hashtag #LetQTPlay. Among those Badgers include safety Scott Nelson, cornerback Faion Hicks, current Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Dare Ogunbowale and Oakland Raiders cornerback Nick Nelson.
