INDIANAPOLIS — “Why did you leave Penn State?”
There’s nothing KeAndre Lambert-Smith has been asked about more in meetings with NFL teams. His career with the Nittany Lions was one filled with twists and turns, heroics and heartbreak. Lambert-Smith’s 88-yard Rose Bowl touchdown started his 2023 off with a bang, only to finish the calendar year with just two receptions over his final four games.
Lambert-Smith, who was once called on by James Franklin to become the program’s next leading wide receiver, was targeted only once in his last game with Penn State. He transferred to Auburn last spring, becoming an All-SEC selection and boosting his draft stock in the process. The past 12 months have been a whirlwind for Lambert-Smith, to say the least.
The conclusion of Penn State’s 2023 season, a loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, left a sour taste in Lambert-Smith’s mouth. He was underutilized for weeks, visibly and vocally frustrated in the postgame locker room. But he stuck around, he said, to earn his degree in the spring. Then he went searching for a new opportunity. The rest is history.
“I was kind of unsure about my career up until last year,” Lambert-Smith told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday. Marcus Davis, the Tigers’ wide receivers coach, altered this direction. It took only a call with Davis and one visit to Auburn and Lambert-Smith was sold. He went on to conclude his college career with three consecutive 100-yard games.
“I felt really confident in the season I had. … My confidence level went back up, my playmaking ability,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’ve proven that I can always make contested catches, make them miss, make tough catches in general and be a playmaker for my team is something I feel I’ve been capable of since I got to college, but wasn’t able to showcase it as well as I thought.”
The man dubbed “Big Play Dre” was, once again, making big plays. Lambert-Smith was lifted up and carried by fans within Jordan-Hare Stadium after his leaping grab secured a game-winning two-point conversion attempt in a 43-41 four-overtime win against No. 15 Texas A&M on Nov. 24. Lambert-Smith’s legend had finally grown. It just took a change of scenery.
“I love Auburn,” Lambert-Smith said. “In the short time I was there, I feel like I left my legacy and I’ll always be remembered there.”
And, at least for the near future, Lambert-Smith won’t soon be forgotten around Penn State. His energetic demeanor was beloved by many teammates, some of whom he kept in touch with over the course of the Nittany Lions’ run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. That was his family, and he supported his former teammates as they ascended oh, so close to a national title.
“Going into it, you can’t live with regret,” he said. “That’s one thing me and my coach talked about. If you make the decision to stay or leave, you gotta live with however it turns out. So, if they win the natty, I’m cheering for the guys. I was texting them. I was hoping they would win the natty. I still got best friends on that team.”
Lambert-Smith’s relationship with Penn State’s coaching staff, however, may be a different story. He remains in contact with Marques Hagans, his former wide receivers coach and a fellow Virginia native. But when asked if he has engaged in conversations with Franklin since transferring, Lambert-Smith said “not really.”
The Nittany Lions concluded this past season with a loss against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, a game in which quarterback Drew Allar failed to complete a single pass to a wide receiver. Lambert-Smith watched on a screen, resting after a career-year that saw him nearly eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Who knows the impact he could’ve made in one last ride at Penn State?
Lambert-Smith isn’t concerning himself with those questions. But others that surround his past have stuck closely to his side, especially during the pre-draft process. There’s no story of Lambert-Smith’s rise to stardom at Auburn without discussing his fallout with the Nittany Lions. But through it all, Lambert-Smith maintains the same confidence he’s possessed for years.
“I’m a big-time playmaker,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’m one of the best, if not the best.”
