Evaluating Penn State wide receiver room after KeAndre Lambert-Smith transfer

There are big expectations for the Penn State Nittany Lions going into the 2024 season. However, the team’s wide receiver room is going to be a question entering the year.

The Penn State wide receiver room took a big hit this offseason, with KeAndre Lambert-Smith deciding to transfer from the team. It’s a group that Sean Fitz of BWI broke down and evaluated during an appearance on Andy Staples On3.

“KeAndre has always been a case study here,” Sean Fitz said. “Like in terms of what we’re looking at, very physically talented. There’s a lot that came along with it as a number one receiver. Kind of fizzled out during the end of the 2023 season. Just three catches in his last four games I think it was.”

KeAndre Lambert-Smith spent four seasons at Penn State. During that time, he played in 48 games and had 126 receptions for 1,721 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2023, he led the team in both receptions and receiving yards.

Still, head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions were active in the Transfer Portal this offseason. That, notably, included adding wide receiver Julian Fleming.

“Then, Penn State goes to the Transfer Portal, as we knew they would, gets Julian Fleming. Fleming, I don’t think he’s the number one receiver at Penn State, but it’s kind of a shallow pool. [Harrison] Wallace is gonna be that guy. He’s a really talented guy that just hasn’t been able to be healthy, but you look at what’s in that room and they needed some sort of reset. I know my colleague Nate Bauer said this winter that they were essentially gonna blow it up. It didn’t happen in the Winter Transfer Portal. It did happen in the Spring Transfer Portal.”

There has been plenty of debate about why KeAndre Lambert-Smith left. However, Sean Fitz pointed to compensation as one possible reason.

“But KeAndre went through Spring ball and these guys talk. These guys know what other figures are floating around and things like that, and I think it was a bit of a jockeying there. KeAndre thought he was probably undercompensated for what he was trying to do and maybe thought that other guys were being treated better, and that’s where I think he found himself. It’s tough. Once you cross a line, it’s tough to come back from that. It’s tough to convince yourself of those things,” Fitz said.

“So, it’s going to be interesting to see how that one comes together at Auburn. Like I said, all the physical talent there. He’s got a lot going for him there. It’s just got to turn some things around in other areas and we’ll see what happens.”

For now, the Penn State receiver room seems to lack depth. However, with a new offensive coordinator in Andy Kotelnicki taking over, the hope is that he can get the best out of that room possible.