Ole Miss Rebels Peach Bowl Preview: Evaluating Penn State Nittany Lions' Leading Receivers
OXFORD, Miss. -- The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions are preparing for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and part of that preparation involves scouting.
The Rebels and Nittany Lions have never faced one another on the gridiron, so many Ole Miss fans may be unfamiliar with the Penn State program under James Franklin. It never hurts to familiarize yourself with the next opponent on the schedule, so why not start now?
That's where The Grove Report comes in. Over the next few days, we will dive in to the Nittany Lions on a position-by-position basis, giving you a look at what Penn State is expected to field on that Saturday in Atlanta. This is a New Year's Six bowl game after all, so the stakes are rather high.
We have already previewed the Nittany Lions' quarterback and star tailbacks, and today we will take a look at their leading receiver/tight ends.
Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith runs to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown against West Virginia at Beaver Stadium September 2, 2023, in State College.
© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith
High School: Maury (Virginia)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 188
2023 Receiving Stats: 53 receptions for 673 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 12.7 yards per catch
TE Theo Johnson
High School: Holy Names High School (Pennsylvania)
Height: 6-6
Weight: 264
2023 Receiving Stats: 32 receptions for 325 yards and six touchdowns averaging 10.2 yards per carry
TE Tyler Warren
High School: Atlee (Virginia)
Height: 6-6
Weight: 259
2023 Receiving Stats: 29 receptions for 295 yards and seven touchdowns
Three players make up the bread and butter of Penn State's aerial attack: receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren.
Lambert-Smith, a former four-star recruit, led the Nittany Lions in receptions (53) and receiving yards (673). The Norfolk, Va., native was Drew Allard's favorite target, but only finished third on the team in touchdowns. When Penn State has opted to not let one of its talented running backs pound the ball into the endzone, the team has turned to its tight ends.
Junior Tyler Warren finished the regular season with less than 300 receiving yards, but led the offense in touchdown receptions (7). Fellow junior tight end Theo Johnson was the No. 2 leading receiver on Penn State with six touchdowns.
Both tight ends possess insane size at 6-6 and at least 250 pounds, making them more than ideal redzone threats. The Ole Miss defense is going to want to keep an eye out for two-tight end sets when Penn State gets within 20 yards of the endzone.
Kickoff between Ole Miss and Penn State on Dec. 30 is set for 11 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
