Penn State Top 25 Players for 2022: KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Penn State’s roster for the 2022 season has a good mix of returning veterans and experience and fresh new faces expected to jump in and contribute this fall. Nittany Lions Wire will be taking a look at 25 of the most important players on the roster for the 2022 season all throughout the month of July by profiling one player each day.
Penn State is looking forward to the potential of its wide receiver group in 2022, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith will be a part of that mix. Alongside Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, Lambert-Smith has big-play potential as he has shown during his first couple of seasons with the Nittany Lions.
2021 in Review
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After getting some good opportunities to get right into the mix as a starter in his true freshman season in 2020, KeAndre Lambert-Smith started all 13 games for the Nittany Lions in 2021. Playing as a third option in the pass offense behind [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] and the rising Parker Washington, Lambert-Smith managed to haul in 34 receptions for 521 yards and five touchdowns, including an 83-yard touchdown against Villanova for the seventh-longest pass play in school history.
Lambert-Smith started the season off with 71 yards on four catches in a hard-fought win at Wisconsin. His big-play ability came through in a big way for the Nittany Lions with a 52-yard catch in the third quarter to help ignite the offense in a defensive battle. He also ended the season with 74 receiving yards on three receptions in the Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas, including a 42-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the game.
Lambert-Smith’s production does at times feel inflated by big play results, but that is part of the game as a player that isn’t necessarily the go-to receiver on most designed plays. But Lambert-Smith had ways of getting into open space, and once he has field to work with, big plays happened.
Biggest question for 2022
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Will there be more production from Lambert-Smith in 2022, or will it be more of the same? Penn State loses Jahan Dotson to the NFL this season, which leads many to believe Parker Washignton will be the leading receiver for the team. Penn State also added Mitchell Tinsley through the transfer portal from Western Kentucky, and he is coming off a big yardage season and should fit in nicely with the Penn State offense.
So where does that leave Lambert-Smith? It may be a similar role as he has seen in the last two seasons. Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich will be able to have some fun working with his new receiver trio including Tinsley as a nice option, and Lambert-Smith should still be in position to make some big plays happen. But it would be good to see a little more consistency with the production as the offense looks to take its next step in 2022.
2022 will be a success if...
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Given the passing game situation for Penn State in 2022, there may not be a whole ton more to ask out of Lambert-Smith. But it would be encouraging to see more receptions leading to more yards and touchdowns in 2022.
Lambert-Smith had 34 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns in 2021. Bumping up the reception total to four per game and getting the yardage over 650 yards would be a step in the right direction. And with that will likely see an uptick in the touchdown department. He had three touchdowns last season. Doubling that total would be great to see.
2022 will be a disappointment if...
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Penn State’s passing game could have an assortment of options to consider. Getting lost in the shuffle could be a mild concern going into the new season with so much focus on Parker Washignton and the addition of Mitchell Tinsley. Penn State is also hoping to get more out of the tight end position this fall, which could impact Lambert-Smith’s production goals on an individual level.
While a repeat performance of his 2021 production wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing in the world for Penn State, it would be considered a step back and thus a disappointment.
Realistic outlook for 2022
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Penn State’s passing game has some good potential to do some big things this year as long as the offensive line can protect starting quarterback Sean Clifford. Clifford knows he can count on Lambert-Smith getting open if he has to extend a play, and that will once again be the case in 2022. Lambert-Smith will have his hand in a number of explosive plays for the Nittany Lions, but he could be used a little bit more as a secondary option this season, which will be good to see.
Nobody should be expecting Lambert-Smith to go off for a 1,000-yard season, but there should be an expectation his production goes up somewhat significantly. Penn State’s leading receiver last season was Dotson with 1,182 yards, and Washington was the team’s second-leading receiver with 820 yards. Penn State does add Mitchell Tinsley to the mix this season as a nice option to slide into the leading receiver category, but Lambert-Smith should be able to flirt with 700 receiving yards if all goes well in 2022.
Penn State Top 25 Players in 2022
