BEAUMONT, Texas – Sevonne Rhea lined up to the right and flashed his impressive speed as soon as the football was snapped. It was the third quarter of Lamar University's Homecoming game against Stephen F. Austin, and the hosts needed their playmaking receiver to step up.
 
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Rhea burst upfield on a designed post route, but with a safety lurking, Rhea bent his intended path slightly as he raced toward the left sideline. Cardinals quarterback Robert Coleman let go of the ball and Rhea navigated the sideline with both feet inbounds and calmly collected the pass as he turned toward the end zone.
 
As Rhea crossed the goal line for an 80-yard touchdown, he had the longest reception by a Southland Conference player this season as part of a career day: 166 receiving yards on six receptions. Upon returning to the sideline, Rhea celebrated with teammates and repeated the line: "I got you! I got you!" When it comes to Rhea's contributions, that statement has been the case for Lamar football and head coach Pete Rossomando all season.
 
"He's about 205 pounds and can run really fast," Rossomando said. "He can play outside or in the slot, but we put him in motion a lot and try to put him in position to get the ball in his hands. He's fast and strong and has great will and technique. We trust him."
 
Rhea is a native of Houston who originally attended another institution in his home state. He caught 24 passes for 448 yards and a touchdown in 2022, his first season at Lamar, and followed that up with 15 catches for 299 yards and three scores a year ago – a season slowed by injuries.
 
In six games this season, Rhea is three just three receptions shy of equaling his career high from two years ago. He ranks fifth in the Southland in receiving yards per game, and he has scored a touchdown in four of six games so far. Rhea has been key to Lamar's ascension into the national conversation this season as the Cardinals climbed to as high as No. 19 in the polls.
 
"We owe a lot of our early success to Sevonne's steady leadership," Rossomando said. "He's an extension of the coaching staff without being overbearing. He's exactly what we have needed at this time in a leader for our football team."
 
Rhea grew up on the north side of Houston as the youngest of seven brothers and wears No. 7 in tribute to his family. The age gap from the oldest sibling to youngest is 27 years, so Rhea has been surrounded by bigger, stronger and faster athletes most of his life.
 
"We played a lot of basketball in the park or the driveway and football in the backyard," Rhea said. "My mom, she made me do other sports like swimming and tennis."
 
Two of Rhea's brothers, Stephon and Aaron, played football at Stephen F. Austin together, so Rhea watched a pair of his six older siblings on the gridiron at the same time. Stephon played in the defensive backfield, while Aaron was also a pass catcher and inspired the youngest Rhea to follow in his footsteps.
 
"I grew up watching them play," Rhea said. "That's where my love of football started."
 
Rhea has also paid close attention to the National Football League, and, naturally, he chose receivers with a similar physical stature and attributes as his favorites: Antonio Brown, Stefon Diggs, Steve Smith and Tyreek Hill.
 
"I try to have as much of an all-around game as I can," Rhea said. "I have great speed. I run great routes. Those are my two main things so I can go make a play on the ball. I play outside and inside at receiver."
 
Rhea flashed that versatility against Stephen F. Austin. In the first quarter, Rhea's first reception came on a touch pass that Lamar calls a "slick." In the second quarter, he had a 43-yard gain on a wheel route. He lined up as the middle receiver on a trips formation to the right and found himself wide open down the right sideline. On his touchdown catch and run, Rhea showcased his broad skillset.
 
"Sevonne brings a tremendous amount of maturity," Rossomando said. "He's one of the guys that nothing fazes him. He's the same guy, every day. He's always coming out to work and he always has a smile on his face.
 
"He just loves life and loves what he is doing."
 
On Wednesday, Rhea was one of 10 Cardinals to receive an invitation to the 2025 Dream Bowl, a postseason all-star game that bills itself as the premier showcase for FCS-level programs and below. Rhea has the back half of the 2024 season and the postseason to continue to learn, grow and develop.
 
"You get better by doing a little bit of everything," Rhea said. "You have to watch film of DBs and their techniques; you have to run a route a thousand times and understand the entire play so you have the IQ you need.
 
"I'm still hungry for more. I haven't reached my full potential yet."