Penn State Looks for KeAndre Lambert-Smith to Become a No. 1 Receiver

After his huge moment in the Rose Bowl, Lambert-Smith is taking the next step toward becoming a playmaker for the Lions.

Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports

Penn State's KeAndre Lambert-Smith punctuated last season with an epic catch and celebration in the Rose Bowl, both of which have provided a cannon shot into the 2023 season. During spring drills, Penn State coach James Franklin pointed to Lambert-Smith as one of the team's offseason stars. Now for Lambert-Smith, this is the year. Asked recently what would constitute a great season, the receiver couldn't help but get animated.

"I know you're not supposed to put stats out there," he said. "I would say that a great season is me just being able to showcase all my talents. ... I just want to have opportunities to make big plays downfield. I want to feel like a playmaker and I want to feel like, at the end of the season, I showcased my talent to the world."

Having lost its top two receivers from 2022's Rose Bowl team, and with a new position coach in Marques Hagans, Penn State is undergoing change at the position. The Lions didn't have a true No. 1 receiver last season, as Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley shared the top production lines, with Lambert-Smith working his way into the No. 3 spot (24 catches, 389 yards, four touchdowns).

Then Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich called Lambert-Smith's number in the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl. The play was a situational coverage-beater, and Lambert-Smith capitalized, scoring on an 88-yard reception to produce the longest touchdown pass in Rose Bowl history.

Lambert-Smith celebrated by faking a hamstring injury, which Franklin didn't think was funny. "I wanted to kill him," Franklin said after the game. But the coach also praised Lambert-Smith's career arc that he hoped would continue rising.

"I think KeAndre is a great story," Franklin said after Rose Bowl. "I think all these players, they come to Penn State and they kind of have in their mind this vision of how it's going to go, and it very rarely goes that way. And KeAndre has just trusted the process and persevered. He's extremely talented. I think he has such a bright future."

Franklin and Hagans tasked receivers to assert themselves during spring drills. In addition to Lambert-Smith, the head coach noted that Harrison Wallace III is on an early track to assume the No. 2 role. After them, Franklin wanted to see more.

"One of the big question marks between now and the first game is, who will be the third guy?" Franklin said. "Who will separate from the pack and be a true No. 3, or are we going to rotate?"

Further, Franklin delivered some public prodding for Lambert-Smith to assert himself in the team's receivers room.

"We need him to be the guy, like a true No. 1, not just at Penn State but really in the conference," Franklin said. "And a guy people are talking about nationally."

Dante Cephas fitting right in with the Lions

A key member of the receiving room arrived on campus in June, when Dante Cephas enrolled for his first season. Cephas spent the past four years at Kent State, where he caught 130 passes over the past two seasons. Cephas had an especially big season in 2021, when he caught 82 passes for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns.

Cephas (6-0, 187) is a redshirt senior who played high school football at Penn Hills in Pittsburgh, so he knows several players on the Lions' roster. That has helped smooth the transition, Franklin said. Further, Cephas is a veteran who approaches his new role like one.

"We’ve had a really good relationship [with Cephas] since he announced his transfer to us," Franklin said. "He did a good job preparing himself before he got on campus, which was a big part of it. He’s doing a really good job right now in team workouts. He’s got some things he needs to work on that we will address, but I’m pretty happy with Dante so far. He’s been really solid in just about all areas. The Key for Dante is he knows a lot of guys on the team. He’s friends with the guys and he fit right in culturally."