Penn State Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith Enters the NCAA Transfer Portal

Lambert-Smith, the Nittany Lions' leading receiver in 2023, leaves Penn State with one season of eligibility.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Penn State's longest-tenured starter and leading receiver in 2023, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal as a graduate. Lambert-Smith has one season of eligibility remaining after starting 37 games for the Nittany Lions over the past four years.

Lambert-Smith was an enigmatic receiver for the Nittany Lions, showing exceptional promise but struggling with what his coaches often called consistency issues. Last October, Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans said of Lambert-Smith, "there are a lot of things fundamentally we continue to work on. The thing that motivates him day in and day out is to be consistent."

The receiver led Penn State in receptions (53) and receiving yards (673) last season, which he closed quietly. Lambert-Smith caught four passes for 28 yards over the final four games of the season. In the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss, Lambert-Smith was targeted once and did not catch a pass. Through the first eight games of 2023, Lambert-Smith averaged 6.4 receptions per game.

Lambert-Smith returned to Penn State this semester and recently won praise from head coach James Franklin for demonstrating more consistency during spring practice. However, Lambert-Smith was not with the team for Saturday's Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium.

"He's had a good spring," Franklin told reporters in State College after practice April 2. "He's shown some real flashes this spring, and I'm seeing them on a more consistent basis. I think [offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki] has done a really good job with him as well. They seem to have a really good relationship…. Obviously we need him to have a big year and expect him to have a big year, and I’m seeing more consistency in the special plays and production."

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Lambert-Smith delivered a special play at the 2023 Rose Bowl, when he caught an 88-yard touchdown pass from Sean Clifford, the longest touchdown pass in Rose Bowl History. After the game, Franklin said he expected that moment to serve as a launch pad.

"I think KeAndre is a great story," Franklin said after the win over Utah. "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 just think he has such a bright future. To see him have such a big night is great because there's so many lessons that are being taught through the game of football, and I'm
really proud of KeAndre and how far he's growth, both personally and professionally."

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.