Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith expected to enter transfer portal

Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith is expected to enter the transfer portal, a source told On3.

The former four-star recruit and top-200 prospect met with members of the coaching staff earlier this week to discuss his potential options. Penn State’s spring game is slated for Saturday. The fifth-year player led the Nittany Lions with 53 catches for 673 yards and four touchdowns in 2023.

Lambert-Smith leaving opens up a big hole in the Penn State wide receiver room ahead of the portal opening on Tuesday. Quarterback Drew Allar finished Year 2 with the Nittany Lions with 2,631 passing yards and 25 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also struggled in big moments against Michigan and Ohio State.

Multiple programs including Louisville and Miami are expected to be in the market for a wide receiver this spring. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound receiver leaves a Penn State team looking to make the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

“I think (Lambert-Smith) had a good spring, he’s shown some real flashes this spring and I’m seeing them on a more consistent basis,” Penn State head coach James Franklin recently said. “We need him to have a big year and expect him to have a big year, and I’m seeing more consistency in the special plays and production.”

The wide receiver had 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against West Virginia. KeAndre Lambert-Smith also had a breakout game in the 2023 Rose Bowl, racking up 124 yards on just three catches.

The Nittany Lions still have Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming, who transferred in during the winter portal window. The No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the 2020 recruiting class has 79 catches for 963 career yards and seven touchdowns. A two-time Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year, he picked the Buckeyes over Penn State coming out of high school.