Penn State Football Top 25 Countdown: No. 11 WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Looking ahead to the 2023 season, few players will be more important to the success of the Penn State offense than wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Drew Allar's no. 1 target is next up in our preseason countdown of Penn State's top 25 players here at Happy Valley Insider.
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Seemingly for the better part of two seasons, people have been waiting for Lambert-Smith to break out in Penn State's wide receiver room. Lambert-Smith arrived in Happy Valley as a highly touted four-star recruit that the Nittany Lions beat out Clemson for, so expectations were always high for Lambert-Smith.
During his true freshman season, which was the 2020 COVID season, Lambert-Smith played in 9 games to go with 5 starts. Lambert-Smith started all 13 games in 2021 and made 8 starts while playing in all 13 games last season.
Throughout his career confidence has always been key with Lambert-Smith. At times, he would allow drops or plays he did not make to get to him, leading to them snowballing on him.
Late last season, that appeared to be changing.
In the regular season finale against Michigan State Lambert-Smith had 5 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a touchdown pass to Sean Clifford. Then in the Rose Bowl, he had 124 yards against Utah including an 88-yard touchdown catch.
All reports are that Lambert-Smith has seized the role of wide receiver one, both on and off the field, since the Rose Bowl. It would not be a surprise to see Lambert-Smith emerge as one of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten this fall.
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