How Penn State is filling in at wide receiver, leaders stepping up & more from spring ball
Penn State is in search of a true No. 1 receiver on its current roster, and head coach James Franklin didn’t mince words with what he expects of the team’s most experienced returning wideout — KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
“He’s been really good so far this spring,” Franklin said Tuesday night after the team’s practice. “We need him to be the guy. Like a true No. 1. Not just at Penn State, but really in the conference and a guy that people are talking about nationally.”
Lambert-Smith is the most natural fit to step up, given his role last season. He was the team’s third-leading receiver behind Parker Washington and Mitch Tinsley, who both departed for the 2023 NFL Draft. He has the versatility to play in the slot and on the outside, but consistency has been an issue in the past.
He previously said he had been working on getting better from that standpoint and said he’s had more responsibility put on him in order to take a step forward — and a challenge he’s ready to take on.
“I feel like that’s a challenge that I’m looking forward to,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’ve waited for this time. It’s that time for me to step up and that’s what’s gonna happen.”
If he isn’t able to step into that role, there are other internal options, including a receiver that had a role on last year’s team. Harrison Wallace III was fourth among wide receivers in receiving yards and flashed the type of high upside Franklin is looking for at the position.
He’s one of the team’s best athletes and showed he’s capable of being a big play weapon for the Nittany Lions with his speed and ability to get up and catch contested passes.
Franklin said Wallace was another option and added that he’s had a good spring camp to this point.
Regardless of who it is, the team will need a receiver to step up. It may not need to be a true No. 1 option as Franklin said, in part because Kent State wide receiver Dante Cephas is committed to the program and set to enroll in the summer. He’s accumulated nearly 2,000 receiving yards over the last two seasons and is setting up to have a vital role.
For the time being, it’s on Wallace and Lambert-Smith to become the leaders of the room the team needs.
Quarterback development
Wide receiver might be the most competitive spot for the Nittany Lions, but quarterback remains the most important one. The Nittany Lions are splitting reps among Drew Allar, Beau Pribula and Jaxon Smolik at the position — according to what Franklin said earlier in March — but the odds remain in Allar’s favor.
His arm strength has always stood out, but offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said Tuesday night that there are plenty of other noteworthy attributes.
“I think he has really good vision,” Yurcich said. “I think he understands the game, he works really hard at it. He’s a tremendous worker.”
Allar’s development will hinge on that of his wide receivers as well because of the importance of one position to the other, but he’ll also need to step up off the field.
Right now, Franklin said both he and Pribula have done a good job of managing the offense to this point.
“To be honest with you, Drew and Beau have been really impressive so far,” Franklin said. “You can tell they’ve worked at it.”
Leadership adjustment
Penn State has been working on replacing leaders on both sides of the ball after the departures of Sean Clifford, Juice Scruggs, Ji’Ayir Brown, PJ Mustipher and several other key voices on offense and defense.
The safety room in particular lost an important leader with Brown moving on. He was one of the most important leaders on the team, and the undisputed head of the safety group.
Now, Zakee Wheatley said the room is coming together as a whole to fill the void he left behind.
“Last year it was evident that (Brown) was the leader of the safety room,” Wheatley said. “With him gone it’s letting everyone else rise to the occasion. ... Whoever it is, everyone has just got to bring it up until we meet the same level.”
The change has been noticeable to Wheatley, but he said he still expects the outcome to be the same at the end of the day.
“Now that I’m older and everyone else in the room is older, without (Brown) it’s kind of forcing us and making us all better. It’s making us all better leaders, making us know our stuff more. We don’t have (Brown) to rely on, we all gotta bring it every day.”
Quick hitters
Franklin said TE Khalil Dinkins is someone that stands out for his performance so far this spring.
The Nittany Lions have yet to fill all of their analyst positions on staff. Franklin said that’s in part because he was focused on filling the void at defensive line coach where he ultimately promoted Deion Barnes. Danny Rocco and Ken Whisenhunt were both analysts with the team last season but Rocco is now the head coach at VMI and Whisenhunt is at Alabama as special assistant to the head coach.
