Tag: KeAndre Lambert-Smith

Report Card: Grading Penn State’s Week 1 win vs. West Virginia

The first Penn State report card is in for the 2023 season. Grading the Nittany Lions following the West Virginia game.

Penn State started the 2023 season with a glimpse of things to come this season. It also showed a few areas that could be worrisome later this season.

But after celebrating a 38-15 victory over West Virginia in front of a packed Beaver Stadium, it will be all smiles for the Nittany Lions the rest of the weekend.

Drew Allar was officially named the team’s starting quarterback with a scoreboard announcement less than half an hour before kickoff, and he looked every bit the star in the making he was expected to be. The defense had some physical battles won and a few lost, and the special teams will have to work on a few things. But all things considered, Penn State had a solid debut to be happy with going into Week 2.

With the first game in the books, here is the first report card of the 2023 season for Penn State.

Quarterback

Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Grade: A-minus

Was it a perfect starting debut for sophomore [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]? No, of course not. There were a few moments where things looked a little disorganized, but that is being a little bit nitpicky on a night when Allar passed for 325 yards (the most by a Big Ten quarterback in Week 1) and three touchdowns. Allar completed 21 of 29 pass attempts and seemed to connect well with KeAndre Lambert-Smith as his primary target. Allar took a couple of hits you would like to see him not take and NBC analyst Todd Blackledge pointed out at least one throw he felt Allar could have made better his intended target, but it was hard not to be impressed by his vision and patience throughout the game.

NEXT: Running backs

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Best social media reactions to Penn State’s win over West Virginia

Penn State and Drew Allar were trending on social media during a win over West Virginia

A college football Saturday feels a little incomplete without your favorite social media apps by your side.

For many of us, that may still be X, the app formerly known as Twitter. For others, perhaps you have been among the few select individuals to get an invite to Bluesky. Or maybe you have gone diving into Threads in hopes of finding others you can chat college football with every time Penn State is on the field. That’s where you will be most likely to find me.

Whatever app you are using this season, the reactions and commentary remain just as much a part of the experience of watching a game from home as it has ever been. And there was a lot to react to as Penn State opened the 2023 season with a home win over West Virginia. Penn State’s 38-15 victory over West Virginia offered plenty of praise for quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and the continued emergence of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] as a potential go-to receiver.

A late touchdown by Penn State might have been a bit controversial for some, but very important for many. If you know, you know!

Until we are able to embed posts from Threads in a social media recap, here are some of the best social media reactions found on X.

Best photos from Penn State’s Week 1 win over West Virginia

Relive Penn State’s Week 1 victory over West Virginia with some of the best photos from the game.

Penn State fans had plenty of reasons to be happy about what they witnessed on Saturday night in Beaver Stadium. Penn State’s season-opening victory over West Virginia saw new starting quarterback Drew Allar settle in to establish a rhythm with a variety of wide receivers, and the defense held West Virginia more than long enough to allow the Nittany Lions to celebrate a relatively comfortable victory when all was said and done.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s season-opening victory over the West Virginian Mountaineers.

No. 7 Penn State sends West Virginia down country woes, 38-15

Drew Allar’s solid debut as Penn State’s starting QB leads PSU over West Virginia to open the season.

The start of the [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] was a pretty good one. After being officially announced as the starting quarterback with about 25 minutes to go to kickoff, Allar passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns as No. 7 Penn State (1-0) topped West Virginia (0-1) on Saturday night in Beaver Stadium, 38-15.

Allar opened the game with a 72-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] on Penn State’s first offensive series of the season, but things slowed down for a bit after that for the Penn State offense. Penn State added a second touchdown in the first half with a rushing touchdown from [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag], last year’s Big Ten freshman of the year.

Allar and Lambert-Smith connected for a second time for a touchdown in the third quarter, extending Penn State’s lead on West Virginia to 21-7 at the time. Allar would add a third touchdown pass later in the game with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to transfer addition [autotag]Malik McClain[/autotag].

Lambert-Smith led all players with 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns. But the rest of the receiving unit had some good moments as well. [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] had seven receptions for 72 yards. McClain ended the night with 58 yards in his Penn State debut. [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], another key transfer addition this past offseason, had one catch for 22 yards in his first game with the Nittany Lions.

Penn State’s dynamic running back combo of Singleton and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] had their moments, although neither eclipsed the century mark in the season opener. Singleton rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown and Allen added 51 yards on 10 carries. Both backs caught a pass as well, with Allen adding a 15-yard gain to his all-purpose yardage on the night.

Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] had a busy night with 10 total tackles, including seven solo tackles and a sack. Penn State had six tackles for a loss with three sacks.

West Virginia got a gritty effort from quarterback Garrett Greene. Greene passed for 162 yards and rushed for 61 yards with a touchdown on the ground. Running back CJ Donaldson Jr. led the Mountaineers with 81 yards and a late touchdown run. Transfer wide receiver addition Devin Carter, who at one point in the offseason was committed to Penn State out of the transfer portal from NC State, was West Virginia’s leading receiver with 90 yards on six catches.

The season-opening win had some positive energy to build on, and we can probably assume the offense is going to be in pretty good shape moving forward after watching things settle into place as the game went on. But head coach James Franklin will surely have some teaching moments to expand on with his players heading into Week 2.

Penn State will stay home next week for a matchup with the Delaware Blue Hens. It will be the first matchup with the FCS program in school history in football. Delaware won its season opener, 37-13, at Stony Brook in Week 1.

Penn State will visit West Virginia to open the 2024 season in the second half of this home-and-home scheduling agreement.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Where is Dante Cephas on Penn State’s depth chart?

Where will Dante Cephas fit on the Penn State depth chart this fall?

After the departure of [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] to the NFL after last year’s season, Penn State’s wide receiver depth chart was full of inexperienced players. Returners [autotag]Keandre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Harrison Wallace[/autotag] combined for 43 receptions and 662 yards.

The Nittany Lions hit the transfer portal bringing in [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] from Kent State. In two seasons as a starter, he caught 130 balls for 1,984 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Like Tinsley the year prior, Cephas is expected to step in and make an immediate impact for Penn State this season.

Reports out of training camp suggest he has gotten off to a slow start, causing him to be in the rotation of players competing for the final starting spot. Lambert-Smith and Wallace are two of the expected starters with an opening still available to be earned.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] was asked about where Cephas stands on the depth chart in his recent availability to the media and he reiterated this point saying, “Yeah, he’s in that group that’s battling. We got a competitive group of four to five guys that are battling — he’s apart of that conversation.”

When making the transition from a smaller conference to the Power 5 level, it’s an adjustment adapting to the increased speed and athleticism. It’s harder to get open and compete physically against defensive backs. On top of that, Franklin is a coach who emphasizes the need to compete at practice, something Cephas is learning about.

“It’s not saying that he’s not a big time player, but there’s a difference between getting up one or two days a week, or one or two times a year in a season vs. coming out here every single day with that type of competitiveness that you need to be successful,” Franklin said.

Cephas is going to have plenty of opportunities to work his way into a starting role with Penn State this season. He’s a talented player who should make an impact once he gets used to the different level of competition it takes to play in the Big 10.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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‘Offseason Kings’ announced by Penn State after summer training camp

Penn State announces offseason MVPs heading into the 2023 season.

Penn State has recognized some of the top performers over the summer with their announcement on Wednesday. Their “Offseason Kings” highlight the Touchdown and Takeaway Kings from the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Two players are selected from each and recognized for their performance throughout the summer period.

On the offensive side of things, quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Keandre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] were the “Touchdown Kings.”

Despite [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] not officially announcing who the starting quarterback will be for the 2023 season, Allar received the honor after being recognized by teammates and coaches for his play on the field and becoming a vocal leader in the locker room. The sophomore came into Penn State as a five-star recruit with built in hype surrounding that status.

Lambert-Smith is the top returning receiver from last year’s team and will have to play a much bigger role if the Nittany Lions want to achieve the goals they are after. According to reports out of camp, he has taken it upon himself to be a leader in the wide receiver room and on the field.

The defensive players recognized as “Takeaway Kings” were cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag].

Hardy is a redshirt senior who is expected to be the top nickelback corner this season. He had worse season number wise last year with 13 tackles and one interception than he had in 2021, when he recorded 15 tackles and two interceptions. Despite that, he is an experienced player who is rumored to potentially play a role in the return game on special teams as well.

Rojas has been one of the hottest names throughout the spring and summer. The true freshman has gained 30 pounds since enrolling in January and has found himself in the rotation of Manny Diaz’s defense for the upcoming season.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Phil Steele’s preseason All-Americans and All-Big Ten rosters feature multiple Nittany Lions

Phil Steele includes a number of Penn State players on his preseason All-America and All-Big Ten rosters for 2023.

You know the dogs days of summer are essentially upon us not because schools are letting out for the summer and grills are firing up for some evening cookouts and pools are being splashed in, but because the college football preview content is beginning to overflow with information for the upcoming 2023 college football season. Among the highlights of the summer preview season is when the iconic Phil Steele begins sharing his preseason All-America and all-conference teams, and this week saw the unveiling of his All-Big Ten roster. Needless to say, it includes a good number of Penn State players for the 2023 season.

Offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and defensive back Kalen King headline the preseason accolades by appearing on the preseason All-America roster from Steele. The two standouts are projected to be potential first-round draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft, with Fashanu surprising many with his decision to return to Penn State for one more season after being projected as a possible first-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Linebacker Abdul Carter, entering his sophomore season in Happy Valley after a brilliant freshman debut, appeared on Phil Steele’s third-team preseason All-America list. Sophomore running back Nick Singleton also makes the preseason-All-America cut for Steele, although he does so on the fourth team. Not bad for two of Penn State’s top freshmen from a season ago.

All four of the players mentioned are locked in to Steele’s preseason All-Big Ten team, as you would expect. Fashanu, King, and Carter all appear on the first-team preseason All-Big Ten roster from Steele, and Singleton makes the second-team All-Big Ten cut.

Joining Singleton on the preseason All-Big Ten second team are linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag]. Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag], defensive end Adisa Isaac, and long snapper [autotag]Tyler Duzansky[/autotag] all received third-team All-Big Ten honors from Steele. Cornerback Johnny Dixon, who is expected to be a leading candidate to lock down a starting job this fall, was included on Steele’s fourth-team preseason All-Big Ten roster.

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Where are Penn State’s WRs in College Sports Wire’s best Big Ten receivers list?

Was Penn State snubbed in College Sports Wire ranking of the top Big Ten receivers in 2023?

With under 100 days left before the start of college football season, coaching staffs, media, fans and everyone involved with the sport are starting to project what will happen during the 2023 season.

College Sports Wire has been ranking players at their positions from each conference and recently completed their list for the best Big Ten wide receivers.

Throughout the offseason, one of the biggest question marks surrounding Penn State was about their wide receiver group. After losing [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] to the NFL Draft, questions about the overall talent and depth at the position were pervasive.

Here are the top wide receivers according to College Sports Wire.

  1. Marvin Harrison Jr. – Ohio State (77 rec, 1,263 yds, 14 TDs)
  2. Emeka Egbuka – Ohio State (74 rec, 1,151 yds, 10 TDs)
  3. Isaiah Williams – Illinois (82 rec, 715 yds, 5 TDs)
  4. Chimere Dike – Wisconsin (47 rec, 689 yds, 6 TDs)
  5. Tyrese Chambers – Maryland (51 rec, 544 yds, 4 TDs)
  6. Cornelius Johnson – Michigan (32 rec, 499 yds, 6 TDs)
  7. Chris Autman-Bell – Minnesota (11 rec, 214 yds, 1 TD)
  8. Corey Crooms Jr – Minnesota (57 rec, 814 yds, 5 TDs)
  9. Jeshaun Jones – Maryland (44 rec, 557 yds, 4 TDs)
  10. Billy Kemp IV – Nebraska (16 rec, 116 yds, 0 TDs)
  11. Julian Fleming – Ohio State (34 rec, 533 yds, 6 TDs)
  12. Naseim Brantley – Rutgers (53 rec, 893 yds, 9 TDs)

It should come as no surprise that Penn State doesn’t have any of the top players on the list from College Sports Wire, but they did not have any of their receivers make the list.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith did make it as an honorable mention, but it’s still shocking to not see any Nittany Lions listed as a top 12 player in the conference. Lambert-Smith is expected to take the next step this season and will be helped out by projected starter and Toledo transfer [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag].

Here are both their numbers from last season in comparison to others on the list.

  • Lambert-Smith: 24 rec, 389 yds, 4 TDs
  • Cephas: 48 rec, 744 yds, 3 TDs

When looking at both of their numbers, it’s safe to say both have arguements to be included on the list of best receivers in the Big Ten. Lambert-Smith has put up numbers as a tertiary option that match and exceed some of the players on this list. Cephas has the fourth most yards on this list when looking at last season’s numbers.

The good news is that the Penn State wide receivers can go out and show they deserve to be included at top receivers in the Big Ten this season. At the end of the day, this is a preseason list.

Once the season starts, they can go out prove how good they are in this conference.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Athlon Sports: Penn State football has 13 on preseason All-Big Ten for 2023

Penn State had the third-most players appearing on the preseason All-Big Ten list from Athlon Sports.

It’s that time of the year again when the preseason college football previews start making the rounds. Athlon Sports has not sent its annual preseason publication to the magazine racks just yet, but it has shared its preseason all-conference teams for the upcoming 2023 college football season.

The preseason All-Big Ten list from Athlon Sports was published earlier this week, and it included 13 players from Penn State’s roster scattered throughout its four-deep all-conference team. Yes, four-deep, because it is likely the best way to spread the word with school press releases and social media impressions. Only Michigan and Ohio State had more players listed than the Nittany Lions among Big Ten teams, which may be something that has come to be expected.

Here are all of the Penn State football players to make the Athlon Sports preseason All-Big Ten team.

2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith

Penn State football fans should expect more explosive plays from KeAndre Lambert-Smith in 2023.

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.

Leading off this effort is one of Penn State’s top returning playmakers on offense, wide receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]. Lambert-Smith is Penn State’s top returning wide receiver from last year’s Rose Bowl championship roster, and his role will be instrumental to Penn State’s success in 2023 as the Nittany Lions break in a new starting quarterback and look to establish chemistry with new faces as the top receiving targets this fall. Lambert-Smith’s knack for big plays should continue this year for what could be a fun Penn State offense.