Ex-Penn State football WR fires back at transfer destination criticism

This spring the Penn State football team suffered a mass exodus to the transfer portal. But the biggest name to leave the program was former wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The ex-Nittany Lion was slated to be the No. 1 option for Drew Allar this fall but entered the portal and decided to take his talents to Auburn. After a few weeks into the season, with uncertainly at quarterback for the Tigers, Lambert-Smith responded to a Penn State fan on social media.

The Auburn Tigers loaded up this offseason in the transfer portal. They’ve also been on a tear recruiting, largely due to Hugh Freeze and his style. But in week two of the 2024 season, Auburn suffered its first loss to Cal at home. Change was needed after a game where starting quarterback Payton Throne imploded by throwing four interceptions.

A Penn State football fan account on Twitter /X (@AnalyticalLion) tweeted at former Nittany Lion KeAndre Lambert-Smith asking “How’s the QB situation down there.”

During the week leading up to the Tigers matchup against New Mexico, Freeze made a bold move to replace Throne with Hank Brown at quarterback. Brown led the Tigers to an impressive 45-19 win over New Mexico, which led Lambert-Smith to respond to the tweet on Saturday night.

“Pretty solid thanks for checking on me,” Lambert-Smith posted on Twitter / X. He also added a photo of Brown’s stat line where he completed 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns. Lambert-Smith hauled in two catches for 72 yards against the Lobos.

Pretty solid thanks for checking on me. https://t.co/eQQXuc8qwK pic.twitter.com/6Ra5xF9SFG

— cinco (@drelambertt) September 15, 2024

Lambert-Smith criticized Drew Allar this summer

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

We will never know why KeAndre Lambert-Smith left Penn State football this past spring. But over the summer Lambert-Smith did express the difference between Paytron Throne and Drew Allar. He spoke out on the BLEAV in Everything Auburn podcast.

“Just being around Payton, No. 1, Payton came from the Big Ten; he beat me at Penn State already,” Lambert-Smith said. “So, just being around him, hearing how he controls the team at the end of a workout, the leadership, I think that gives the offense a sense of confidence right there.

“That kind of was lacking where I came from. I know just the difference in how that can make an offense feel. I felt different when I heard him talking. Then, just how he hits me up, ‘Let’s go work out, let’s get these routes, let’s hit the field.’”

Ironically, it appears that Throne has lost his starting job at Auburn and Drew Allar is starting to play like the quarterback scouts believed he could be. But at the end of the day, Lambert-Smith is happy with his decision. The Penn State football offense certainly hasn’t lacked play-making pass catchers in his absence on offense. Tyler Warren and Trey Wallace have stepped up early for the Nittany Lions in 2024.

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