Penn State wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith confirmed on Monday afternoon that he is entering the transfer portal, following several days of speculation that he was set to do so. Lambert-Smith did not participate in this past weekend’s Blue-White Game but was listed on the team roster for the spring scrimmage.
Following the game, head coach James Franklin opted not to comment on Lambert-Smith’s status with the team.
“First and foremost I want to thank Penn State for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream of playing college football at the highest level, while also being able to earn my degree,” Lambert-Smith wrote in a message posted on X. “To Nittany Nation, you all showed me something I could only dream of experiencing and for that I will always appreciate you. I have showed loyalty to the program, the university and most of the all, the fans.
“To the guys [past and present] I couldn’t have asked to be around a better group over these last four years. I’m blessed to have known that I have made friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. And for that I’m grateful. With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal as a grad transfer. everyone has their own book, this is just the next chapter of mine.”
In his four seasons of action with the Nittany Lions, Lambert-Smith caught 126 passes for 1,721 yards and 11 touchdowns. That includes 53 catches for 573 yards and four scores in 2023.
He will enter the portal as a graduate transfer.
In the absence of Lambert-Smith, who led Penn State in receptions last season but saw his production drop off dramatically in the back half of the season, the Nittany Lions will lean of a host of options including Kaden Saunders, Liam Clifford, Trey Wallace and Omari Evans. The group of previously established Nittany Lions has also welcomed Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming to the fold as the in-state product looks to put one final chapter on the books of his own long career.
“I think like you saw today, a bunch of guys touched the ball and made plays,” Franklin said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “We were able to distribute the football around. I’ve had all the faith in the world in our wide receivers in terms of talent and ability. We got to take the next step and I saw them take a step this spring. We’re going to be taking another step this summer. The positive thing is you can really improve defensively and offensively in the passing game over the summer. It’s hard to do that in the run game. I think we’re going to be very specific on the things we’re working on and how we’re training and developing.”
“We have the talent in the room. The reality is we got to take this next step and we got to do it on a consistent basis. And we got to make plays against all the people on our schedule. All those guys are in the locker room for a reason. We have belief in those guys. We believe they’re ready to take the next step. I think Trey (Harrison Wallace III) was a good example today. Him getting hurt last year was was significant. So having a healthy Trey back has helped.”
