Don't Sleep on Auburn Tigers Wide Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith

There has been a lot of talk of the sensational freshman receivers the Auburn Tigers signed, but Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith could be MVP.

Penn State Transfer wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith with the Auburn Tigers / Austin Perryman, Auburn University Athletics

When the Auburn Tigers lured wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith away from Penn State, they knew they were getting a self-assured player and person.

Even though Lambert-Smith has bounced into a wide receiver room which contains the hotly tipped, "Freeze 4", it's most definitely not turned the former Nittany Lion into a shrinking violet.

"They ask me like, 'Did we play against you?' and I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm 2 - 0 versus y'all," Lambert-Smith jokingly said at media availability. "But we on the same chain now. I'm with the good guys now."

Setting the comedic interludes aside, Lambert-Smith saw a fit with the coaching staff at Auburn that he felt was lacking in Penn State, so much so, he took his final year of eligibility to the Plains.

In terms of the bigger picture, especially as the precocious-talent of Cam Coleman develops, having a more experienced player around like Lambert-Smith is a real bonus for offensive coordinator Derrick Nix in particular. 

"I'll say the same thing about Dre (KeAndre Lambert-Smith). Very experienced, polished," Nix enthused of his transfer portal addition. "His work ethic is really good and it's been trickling down to the guys that are younger like Cam (Coleman) who obviously is talented but just seeing what these guys do day-to-day, whether they're going to catch jugs or coming in later to watch film or to study plays has been great, having veteran guys come in and transfer." 

Not only will Lambert-Smith bring a vital additional edge to proceedings within his own locker room dynamic, his consistent willingness to pass on some tips and guidance will be worth its weight in gold.

While starting quarterback Payton Thorne has frequently spoken enthusiastically about having an abundance of young pass catching talent to build chemistry with, on the flip side, having a guy who just knows where to be really matters.

In Lambert-Smith, the more polished route running package should be ready to plug-and-play, and Thorne saw the upside of that particular equation pretty early on in proceedings.

"For me, it's his releases," Thorne raved of Lambert-Smith during last month's SEC Media Event. "When he gets pressed off the line, I feel great with him gettin where he wants to go. His start/stop is really good, too.He's a really polished receiver. He's played a lot of games, caught a lot of touchdowns, and he's going to have a chance to do that for us this year."

Ingredients in the parlor of Freeze are now pretty darn plentiful and are also readily at hand. Therefore, it's all about blending them together into an explosive Auburn offense.