Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
4 4 A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 3 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / It was only after he returned to a start- ing role at Rutgers that Lambert-Smith regained the form he had established ear- lier in the year. He had 3 catches in the win over the Scarlet Knights, and while they netted only 9 yards, he was at least back in the receiving mix. In the regular- season finale against Michigan State a week later, he caught 5 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Then came his most impactful outing of the season, a Rose Bowl performance against Utah in which he totaled 124 yards on 3 catches, including an 88-yard TD. 'He Loves Competition' Assessing the stakes for Lambert- Smith this season, Hagans said the po- tential exists for him to have the type of season he wants. "I think his battle this year will be staying healthy and staying consistent," Hagans said. "He has a capacity for foot- ball and he has a really high IQ. He loves competition, and I think if he can be con- sistent, day in and day out, he's got a chance to be a really good player. I think he'll play his best football this year." P e n n S t a te i s counting on it. With the season quickly approaching, Lam- bert-Smith is eager to show that he's the Nittany Lions' top receiver and one of the best in the confer- ence. He said he believes he has the an- swers to help unlock the offense's highest potential. "Like I tell everybody, I haven't done anything yet. I'm still waiting to prove myself," he said. "But I know what I can do. It's going to be a year where I'm the No. 1, so everybody else is going to see what I can do." ■ 2022 vs. 2023: Stock Up Or Down? Only two Penn State receivers caught more than 30 passes in 2022, and neither is back this fall. The Nittany Lions' top return- ing receiver, junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith, finished with 24 catches for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns last year. Of those yards, 207 came in the last two games of the season, and 88 came on one play — a fourth-quar- ter touchdown catch in the Rose Bowl. Beyond Lambert-Smith, no returning Penn State receiver caught more than 20 passes a year ago. This should be an easy stock-down choice. And yet, Lambert-Smith's last two games showed what he's capable of doing when he puts it all together. Add the poten- tial emergence of redshirt sophomore Harri- son Wallace III and sophomore Omari Evans, plus the arrival of first-team All-Mid-Ameri- can Conference receiver Dante Cephas, and a stock-up case could be made. Improved quarterback play should lead to better receiver numbers. With so many unproven pieces making up the equation, the stock starts down but could shoot up the charts quickly. X-Factor The obvious pick here is Cephas, a redshirt senior who arrived at PSU earlier this sum- mer. He brings a mixture of proven results and veteran leadership to a room that is short on both. It's easy to overhype transfers, of course. There's a predisposition for fans to like the new guy better than the current guy. But, in a position group that didn't have a third option until Evans' emergence late in spring practice, Cephas will have every chance to step right in, win a job, and make the Nit- tany Lions better in the process. Freshman Outlook Four redshirt freshmen — Kaden Saun- ders, Tyler Johnson, Anthony Ivey and con- verted cornerback Cristian Driver — will vie for snaps this fall. Of the group, Saunders has been discussed the most, but all will have to take a big step forward to earn play- ing time. There's only one incoming freshman this year, Carmelo Taylor, a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. Taylor, who ar- rived on campus after spring practice, is thin at 5-foot-11, 162 pounds, but he has plenty of speed. That may earn him a role this fall, but in all likelihood he'll need to spend the year adding weight before earning reps. — Greg Pickel Kaden Saunders saw action in three games last season, finishing with 2 catches for 21 yards while preserving his fresh- man eligibility for the 2023 campaign. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE "I've been waiting for this opportunity. I want to do everything in my power so I can't look back and be like, 'Ah, I folded on my opportunity.'" L A M B E R T - S M I T H