Tag: KeAndre Lambert-Smith

PFF ranks Parker Washington among top receivers in 2023 NFL draft

PFF mentions Penn State WR Parker Washington as one of the top slot receivers in the 2023 NFL draft pool

Penn State cornerback [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] has been receiveing plenty of draft hype for the 2023 NFL draft class as the 2022 college football season approaches. Porter is viewed by some as a potential first-round draft pick in next year’s NFL draft, which would certainly raise the bar for Penn State’s program when it comes to cornerbacks. But now a wide receiver is receiving some pretty positive draft hype entering the upcoming college football season.

[autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] was ranked as one of the top 10 wide receiver draft prospects for the 2023 NFL draft recently by Pro Football Focus. PFF noted that the departure of [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag], a first-round pick of the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL draft, should lead to a more productive season from Washington, and that should only continue to boost his draft stock going into the 2023 draft season.

Washington has already challenged himself to take the next steps forward as he becomes the likely top target for quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] in the Penn State offense in 2022. It is not as though Washington has much to prove though. The junior wide receiver has already assembled quite the highlight reel of incredible catches and there were even some games where Washington had more of an impact on the game than Dotson.

From PFF;

He’s only been a slot receiver, and that’s where he profiles in the NFL. At 5-foot-10, 207 pounds, he’s got an Amari Rodgers-esque body type that’s more akin to a running back. That serves him well after the catch, where he broke 16 tackles last season.

Much like Dotson, Washington also possesses Venus flytrap hands. He’s dropped only five passes on 105 catchable targets in his collegiate career, with numerous highlight-reel snags mixed in.

With his physical playstyle, reliable hands and yards-after-catch ability, Washington is the early favorite for the best pure slot in the draft class.

It will be fun watching Washington play another season with the Nittany Lions in the meantime. With Dotson gone, Washignton figures to be the team’s leading receiver but the addition of [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] from Western Kentucky and the continued development of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] does give Penn State three receivers it can do some damage with this fall.

[mm-video type=video id=01g37q0whaj42y857z4z playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g37q0whaj42y857z4z/01g37q0whaj42y857z4z-7e2e283b3b1862220d457fb7a1acca33.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=17916]

[listicle id=5249]

[lawrence-related id=17621,12121,12032,11824,10565,10272]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

2022 Penn State snapshot profile: WR Tyler Johnson

A snapshot profile of Penn State Class of 2022 wide receiver Tyler Johnson.

After losing [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] to the NFL in 2022, the Nittany Lions are still feeling pretty good about the weapons they have at the wide receiver position. And after bringing in some good talent for the position in the Class of 2022.

[autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag] comes into a talented wide receiver room, headlined by [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and Western Kentucky transfer [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag], along with the return of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]. Tyler Johnson is on the leaner side as a receiver but he does have the height that could lead to some big plays and moments in the Penn State offense in the years to come.

Here is a quick snapshot profile of one of Penn State’s future wide receivers lined up in the Class of 2022. The Nittany Lions are in good hands in their wide receiver room.

Penn State reveals new uniform numbers for new and returning players

Penn State revealed updated uniform numbers for some new members of the program and three returning players

Penn State officially welcomes some of its newest members f the program to campus recently as the academic calendar moves from the spring semester to the summer. So naturally, that led to some players getting their first jersey numbers with the football program.

On Monday, Penn State revealed the uniform numbers for its newest members joining from the transfer portal or the Class of 2023.

Here are the numbers six new players will be wearing with the Nittany Lions in 2022;

  • 5 – [autotag]Cam Miller[/autotag], cornerback
  • 8 – [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag], wide receiver
  • 13 – [autotag]Christian Driver[/autotag], safety
  • 64 – [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag], offensive lineman
  • 66 – [autotag]Drew Shelton[/autotag], offensive tackle
  • 97 – [autotag]Alex Bacchetta[/autotag], punter

Penn State still has some uniform numbers to distribute as a few more additions will be joining the program later this summer as well. In addition to these new numbers for new players, Penn State also updated the uniform numbers for three returning players.

Quarterback [autotag]Christain Veilleux[/autotag] is now wearing No. 11, [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] is wearing No. 1, and offensive lineman [autotag]Nick Dawkins[/autotag] will wear No. 53, the number his father Daryll Dawkins wore in the NBA.

[mm-video type=video id=01g37pw9b9vzmtn16kb2 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g37pw9b9vzmtn16kb2/01g37pw9b9vzmtn16kb2-632af56ffe84932e4c8a292347854522.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=19595]

[listicle id=19603]

[lawrence-related id=19592,19563,19561,19548,19543]

 

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

 

Penn State Snapshot Profile: No. 1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith

A snapshot profile of Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith heading into the 2022 season.

The Penn State carousel of wide receiver talent continues as this year they have another playmaker in [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] ready to step up. Last year he was the third-leading receiver on the team but he is hoping to move up that ladder despite the situation in the receiver room.

The obvious leader is Parker Washington, he will be stepping into the [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] role. The wildcard is incoming transfer receiver [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag], he has a similar build and playstyle to Washington. Will he demand a larger target share like Washington did behind Dotson? Or will Lambert-Smith be able to carve into that?

What we do know is this, the trio will be doing its best to help quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] excel in his final season on campus. Getting Lambert-Smith to be the playmaker he can be will have a lot to do with the offense’s success.

Penn State adds four-star receiver Ejani Shakir to Class of 2023

Penn State adds commitment from four-star wid receiver form New Jersey to Class of 2023

Penn State’s Class of 2023 got a little bit better on Wednesday night. [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from New Jersey, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions to give Penn State’s current recruiting class an offensive weapon.

Penn State had been emerging as the favorite to secure Shakir’s commitment with West Virginia believed to be the top competition in the final stages of his recruiting process. The 6′-0″ 175-pound wide receiver is rated as a four-star prospect according to 247Sports, although the 247Sports composite ranking results in a three-star rating.

Shakir is the 12th member of Penn State’s current recruiting class for 2023 and he is the first wide receiver in the class. Penn State added [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag], [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag] at the position in the Class of 2022. Penn State also welcomed Western Kentucky transfer [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] to the program this spring to help fill the void left by first-round draft pick [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] in the 2022 NFL draft. [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] are each back for the 2022 season as well.

Shakir has said he felt Penn State would be his decision for. few months, but it was best to fully evaluate his options before coming to any final decision.

“To be honest with you, I felt like I knew I was going to go there since I went up there (a while ago),” Shakir said to Lions247. “A lot of schools didn’t really reach up to their potential. I knew I was going to go there for a couple of months.”

New Jersey is an important recruiting state for Penn State, as it typically is for a number of Big Ten programs. Shakir is the first New Jersey recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2023 at this point. Shakir is the No. 7 recruit overall in the state of New Jersey according to the 247Sports composite rankings (No. 3 just according to 247Sports).

[listicle id=11403]

[lawrence-related id=19422,19420,19417,19412,19397]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Inside the Box Score: The key stats from Penn State’s Blue-White Game

Inside the box score with some key stats from Penn State’s Blue-White Game.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game showed the Nittany Lions are still a bit of a work in progress in some key areas, but there were still some players and developments worth being optimistic about moving into the summer. And the final box score from a spring scrimmage like Penn State’s can oftentimes be misleading or unnecessarily overanalyzed. Nonetheless, it is a starting point for evaluating just where the Nittany Lions are heading once the 2022 season begins.

So, with the caution of not wanting to get too carried away with the official stats shared by Penn State from the Blue-White Game on Saturday afternoon, let’s dive headfirst into the key stats from the final spring practice of the season before Penn State moves to the next stage of its offseason.

And why not start with the quarterback position?

Quarterbacks

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
  • [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag]: 5-of-14, 75 yards
  • [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]: 6-of-14, 61 yards, 2 interceptions, 1 sack
  • [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]: 4-of-7, 41 yards, 1 touchdown
  • [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag]: 2-of-3, 7 yards, 2 sacks

Sean Clifford had some decent production in his time on the field, including the game’s only touchdown pass (to transfer addition Mitchell Tinsley. Clifford also had the best performance from passers in seven-on-seven drills, for whatever that is worth.

Christian Veilleux had the most complete performance among those vying for backup consideration to Clifford. This could have been expected given he already has some in-game experience from last season.

Don’t get too down when reviewing the stat line for five-star quarterback Drew Allar, because he was not given much help at times by his receivers dropping passes or having a ball bounce off their hands. But he did have a number of throws that seemed to be just a tad behind his intended targets. And Beau Pribula also had some freshman moments, which was to be expected.

NEXT: Who were the top running backs in the Blue-White Game?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

James Franklin looking forward to Parker Washington in 2022

Parker Washignton says Penn State offensive players will step up where it needs to step up in 2022

Penn State’s 2021 season ended with a whimper with a loss in the Outback Bowl, but there are some positives to look forward to in 2022. Among the highlights of the Outback Bowl loss was a one-handed catch by Parker Washington, Penn State’s top returning receiver following the departure of Jahan Dotson to the NFL. Washington is a player Penn State head coach James Franklin is very much looking forward to watch continue to grow next season.

“Yeah, Parker, I think you guys see, there’s a lot to be excited about in his future,” Franklin said in his postgame comments following a 24-10 loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. “Got tremendous ball skills. He’s smart. He can make people miss. He’s built more like a tailback than he is a running back which I think helps him in a lot of different situations.”

Washignton was Penn State’s second-leading receiver in 2020 as a freshman and in 2021 as a sophomore, with Dotson being the leading receiver each season. Washington accounted for 64 receptions for 820 yards and four touchdowns for the Nittany Lions in 2021, and he had more than just the one highlight catch against the Razorbacks in the bowl game. We have done our best to capture some of those key moments throughout the 2021 season because they are worth remembering.

[lawrence-related id=12032,10565,10272,7346]

And if Franklin’s postgame comments are any suggestion, it may not be a surprise to see Washington get some time returning punts for Penn State in 2022, just as Dotson did at times during his time in Happy Valley.

“Even some of the punts he fielded, got some positive yards, even the over-the-shoulder punt, that thing got to the ground,” Franklin noted (Washington only had one five-yard punt return against Arkansas).” Those are 20 yards that are hidden yardage that people don’t think about in the game that saved us.”

Replacing Dotson is no easy feat. Dotson could be a first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft later this spring, and he certainly left his mark in the Penn State record books. But that helps motivate Washington to improve his game as much as possible to help the offense next fall.

“We’re just going to step up where we need to step up,” Washington said in his postgame comments after the Outback Bowl. “Especially with the other guys, we know they’ll be ready in the [wide receiver] room, as well. We just have to come in, focus every day and build on it each day.”

Penn State’s passing game may already know how it will look in 2022. Sean Clifford has announced he will return for another season, and he will likely be the starter for the Nittany Lions once again. Washington will be joined by KeAndre Lambert-Smith as the top two receiving options, and we’ll see who else gets into the mix. The tight-end situation will be covered by Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson.

“Coming in next year and to see Parker and KeAndre do some good things today, that’s going to be important because we’re losing a lot of production in Jahan Dotson,” Franklin said.

He’s not wrong.

[vertical-gallery id=12077]

[listicle id=10557]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Report Card: Grading Penn State’s Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas

Grading Penn State’s performance in the Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas

Despite the Penn State loss, there are still some positives to take out of this game.

Penn State was a little bit shaken to start the game, but the first half was strong and the game was kept close. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case in the second half.

Let’s take a more in-depth look and grade the performance of Penn State‘s loss to the Razorbacks.

Quarterbacks: C-

Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Sure, there were flashes of athleticism, but Sean Clifford struggled for much of this game. There were times where he was panicking under deep pressure and it came back to hurt them at times. Clifford recently announced his decision to return for sixth season in Happy Valley.

Clifford was later benched for freshman quarterback Christian Veilleux, who last played November 20 against Rutgers, where his debut was nothing short of impressive.

Next: Running Backs

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

WATCH: Sean Clifford finds KeAndre Lambert-Smith WIDE OPEN for TD

WATCH: Sean Clifford made sure not to miss a WIDE OPEN KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 42-yard TD in the Outback Bowl

Penn State’s offense was struggling to get much going against Arkansas in the first quarter, but Sean Clifford eventually found wide receiver wide open. And he did not miss.

Clifford connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 42-yard touchdown that may be the easiest score of the day for either team. Lambert-Smith pulled off from his man and Arkansas seemed lost in coverage as the Penn State speedster was wide open for a 42-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

Let’s have another look at how Lambert-Smith got so open.

And just like that, we have a brand new ballgame in the Outback Bowl with the score tied at 7-7.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

With Jahan Dotson opting out, Parker Washington becomes Penn State’s top receiver

With Jahan Dotson opting out, Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith tasked with stepping up in Outback Bowl

[mm-video type=video id=01fmnknjnv88a064z3g8 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fmnknjnv88a064z3g8/01fmnknjnv88a064z3g8-e0167c30f4a4b6147b909fb39a2a36ad.jpg]

As many expected would happen, Jahan Dotson officially announced he is declaring for the NFL draft in 2022. As a result, Dotson will pass on playing one final game for the Penn State Nittany Lions and thus will skip this week’s Outback Bowl against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Tampa. With Dotson unavailable, Penn State has a new leading receiver in Parker Washington.

The sophomore from Texas should be ready for the responsibility of being the team’s top receiver for quarterback Sean Clifford. Washington has already established himself as a valuable asset in to the Penn State passing game after serving as the perfect complement to Dotson and at times having better performances than his NFL-bound role model.

Washington enters the Outback Bowl already with 722 receiving yards, making him the leading receiver for either team playing in the Outback Bowl (Arkansas also lost its top receiver to an opt-out in Treylon Burks). Although Washington has only been responsible for four touchdown catches this season, he has made plenty of big plays to give Penn State’s offense a lift, which is why Clifford will likely look to Washington in key spots against the Razorbacks when the Nittnay Lions need some big yards.

Washington won’t be the only receiver looking to step his game up with extra opportunities in the absence of Dotson. KeAndre Lambert-Smith will also be a player to keep a close eye on. Lambert-Smith has 31 receptions for 447 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season, and his role should be elevated a bit without Dotson in the picture. Lambert-Smith leads Penn State in average yards per reception among players with at least 17 receptions this season (Malick Meiga has an average of 26 yards per reception with just three receptions for a total of 78 yards thanks to a long touchdown against Rutgers). Lambert-smith has also come up with some clutch plays for the offense and is capable of turning out some big chunk of yardage as well.

Odds are pretty good Penn State’s staff and roster were aware of the likelihood they would be playing without Dotson and a handful of key defensive starters, so it is likely offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has been designing his gameplan for Arkansas around the idea of spreading the ball around a bit more with Washington and Lambert-Smith as the top two receivers. This would appear to be a good week to also have Clifford find ways of getting the tight ends more involved. When tight ends Theo Johnson and Brenton Strange are making solid contributions, Penn State’s passing game is likely in for a big day.

Beyond the Outback Bowl, the future of the wide receiver position for 2022 looks promising. Washington and Lambert-Smith are slated to return in 2022 to give the offense a solid combo at receiver. The Class of 2021 included a four-star receiver in Lonnie White Jr., but the talented two-sport athlete has already decided to pursue a career in professional baseball after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2021 amateur MLB draft. But the Class of 2022 seemingly made up for it with four-star players Kaden Saunders and Anthony Ivey. It may not take too long next fall to begin hearing those names on Saturdays.

Penn State faces Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. ET.

[vertical-gallery id=1834]

[listicle id=11804]

[lawrence-related id=11814,11812,11798,11796,11684,11674,11585]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.