BREAKING: Penn State football WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith officially enters transfer portal

KeAndre Lambert-Smith has officially entered the transfer portal, Pete Nakos of On3 reports on Monday. The news comes after Lambert-Smith was not with James Franklin and Penn State football for Saturday’s Blue-White Game, and has reportedly been considering a move to the portal since last week. The senior was the Nittany Lions’ top wide receiver in both yards and touchdowns in 2023.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith officially enters transfer portal

After a weekend of rumors, reports, and innuendo, KeAndre Lambert-Smith officially entered the transfer portal on Monday. The announcement comes from Pete Nakos of On3.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith has officially entered the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned. https://t.co/8aOhCjhchP https://t.co/TxsBxjjNon

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 15, 2024

Last Friday, it was reported that Lambert-Smith had been away from the Penn State football team and was “strongly considering” a move to the transfer portal. Despite appearing on the roster, he was not present for the Nittany Lions’ Blue-White Game on Saturday.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith led all Nittany Lion wide receivers with 673 yards and four scores in 2023. He is the only player in Penn State football history with multiple 80-yard receptions. The Norfolk native will finish his career in Happy Valley with 1,721 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

“That’s a Coach Franklin discussion,” quarterback Drew Allar said when asked about the missing wide receiver after Saturday’s Blue-White Game. “I’m not going to expand on any of that stuff.”

However, James Franklin wasn’t willing to say much more on the topic. “I’m really happy to talk about any of the guys that played in the game today and are in the locker room. Besides that, I don’t have a lot to tell you,” he noted after the scrimmage.

But later in his press conference, the Penn State football coach did circle back to his concerns about the current direction of the sport.

“One of the things that I think is really important is I’m still a big believer in transformational relationships, and college football being transformational,” he expressed. “I’m worried that college football is becoming more and more transactional. That has to be in both directions. That’s something that I’ve talked to our guys all the time about. To be honest with you, 99% of the time, what’s good for the individual is good for the team, and vice versa.”

What’s next for the Penn State wide receiver room?

Even with the departure of KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the external problem facing the Penn State wide receiver room doesn’t change. The unit has talent, but has been unable to perform at a consistent level.

Once again, the Nittany Lions wide receivers find themselves under the microscope heading into the offseason. James Franklin has publicly pushed the room to take the next step and find players who can “separate themselves” repeatedly over the last 18 months. This spring was no different.

However, Franklin took a more optimistic approach on Saturday, looking forward to what is to come from the room this summer.

“I love our wide receivers. They have a bunch of talent in the room,” he said. “I think they got a chance to take the next step. I believe they’re going to take the next step. I think [receivers coach] Marques [Hagans] has done a really good job this spring. This summer is going to be really important. The positive thing is in college football you can improve in the passing game in the summer. We’re going to do those things. We believe in them.”

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