STATE COLLEGE — Contrary to what coach James Franklin wanted to create, Saturday’s Blue-White game wasn’t all that competitive but some good things happened.
Also, the Nittany Lions will be moving forward without senior wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who entered the transfer portal on Monday according to a report by Pete Nakos of On3.
Let’s get into it.
The end of KeAndre Lambert-Smith
The biggest news to come out of Penn State’s Blue-White game was the absence of Lambert-Smith in practice in the days leading up to the scrimmage.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Penn State’s leading receiver from last season was strongly considering entering the transfer portal.
Franklin refused to divulge anything regarding Lambert-Smith after the Blue-White game.
“I’m really happy to talk about any of the guys that played in the game today and are in the locker room,” Franklin said when asked about Lambert-Smith’s status with the program after the game. “Besides that, I don’t have a whole lot.”
Though he caught 53 passes for 673 yards and four touchdowns, Lambert-Smith’s role diminished greatly as the season wound down.
His last receiving touchdown came on Oct. 28 against Indiana, a 57-yard go-ahead touchdown catch from Drew Allar with 1:46 left in the fourth quarter in Penn State’s 33-24 win.
Lambert-Smith had another big performance the next week at Maryland with a season-high eight catches for 95 yards.
Things got strange from there, however, as Lambert-Smith’s tenure at Penn State effectively ended with a total of two catches for 28 yards over the team’s last four games.
Quarterback Drew Allar spoke glowingly of Lambert-Smith’s performance in camp prior to Blue-White week.
“What Dre has done a really good job of is just being very consistent throughout the spring, making the routine plays routine and then obviously, he has a lot of talent with him so he makes some pretty spectacular plays,” Allar said. “He’s one of the better guys we have in angle tackle drills, making guys miss one-on-one and making guys miss in space. He does a really good job and I think the more ways we can get the ball to him on the perimeter and let him showcase those skills, the better for the offense because we’ll pick up yardage and he’ll get his touches and hope he’ll make things happen out of nothing.”
Ultimately, the acquisition of former Southern Columbia standout Julian Fleming encroached upon Lambert-Smith’s status as Penn State’s No. 1 receiver. Fleming has endeared himself to the receiver room and the rest of the team from the moment he stepped foot on campus.
“The guys love him,” Franklin said of Fleming. “He’s been awesome as a teammate. He’s been really coachable. I think he has been able to kind of move on, we’ve moved on. There’s been no talk about the past. He’s just been really good.”
Wallace looks good
One of the players that stood out in Saturday’s Blue-White game was redshirt junior wide receiver Harrison Wallace III.
Wallace had a team-best five catches for 72 yards on Saturday, including a 20-yard reception that saw him make a man miss and explode down the field.
In total, Wallace was targeted seven times in the scrimmage and had one drop but looked poised to step into the void now left by Lambert-Smith’s departure.
In addition to Wallace, Kaden Saunders and Liam Clifford caught a pair of passes each for the White team in victory.
“They’ve definitely made a lot of improvement,” Allar said of the receivers. “I think they caught a lot of flack and a lot of criticism last year and I think all they did this year, same with Coach (Marques) Hagans, was put their head down and work and I’ve seen a totally different level of commitment in that group. I’m very excited with the room that we have right now. We saw a lot of guys flash out there — Kaden, (Wallace), Liam made a couple nice catches, I believe. Just overall, as an offense, we just need to be consistent at every position, not just one position.”
Quinton Martin makes his case
In a windy, ho-hum spring game with a lot of Penn State’s star players sitting out or playing limited snaps, many young players got their chance to shine on Saturday.
Perhaps the one that impressed the most was true freshman running back Quinton Martin Jr.
Martin had two carries for 21 yards with two touchdowns in the White team’s victory. Though he’s been limited in spring, the Belle Vernon product made the most of his opportunity with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen sitting out the scrimmage.
“He had some bumps and bruises so he’s missed a decent amount of time this spring so I don’t have a true evaluation,” Franklin said of Martin. “What I will tell you is he’s an awesome kid. He’s learned the offense really well. I think he’s got really good vision, but I think between now and West Virginia, he’s got a lot of work to do and I think he’ll do it.”
Vanover earns praise
Senior defensive end Amin Vanover starred for the White team with two tackles, a sack and an interception.
“I think Amin Vanover’s a pretty cool story for us,” Franklin said. “I think he’s gonna have a huge year for us. He’s a guy that’s done it the right way. It hasn’t always been easy for Amin or us. His journey has been challenging at times, and he’s really stuck it out and just gotten better and better. I think he’s gonna have a really big year.”
Last season, Vanover played in eight games and contributed six total tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Vanover played behind soon-to-be NFL draft picks Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac on the defensive line, and he could see an uptick in snaps in support of Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter this year.
Vanover feels everyone on the defensive line is hungry to prove themselves this year and anticipates another big year for the Penn State defensive line.
“It’s like ‘next man up’,” Vanover said. “Adisa and Chop were different, as we all know. Those are my big brothers, but the hunger is there regardless — whether they leave, whether they’re here or not. When they were here, we were all still hungry. The D-line, we were the best line in the country last year for a reason and that ain’t gonna change.”
Though it doesn’t count in Vanover’s official career numbers, getting his first career interception in the spring game was something he was proud of. He vows that if he gets more chances to get interceptions, his hands are sure.
“I actually don’t often get opportunities to catch interceptions,” Vanover said, “but when I do just know I’m gonna catch them.”
Rap makes an impact
Without the services of veteran tight end Tyler Warren on Saturday, more reps went the way of redshirt freshman tight end Andrew Rappleyea.
The 6-foot-4, 249-pound prospect showed what he’s capable of with three catches for 33 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from Allar late in the scrimmage.
“Rap has had an impressive spring,” quarterback Beau Pribula said. “He’s a really physical dude. He’s gonna be a good player for us this year. He’s put together a strong spring and I’m excited for fall camp because I think he’s one of the guys that are going to step up.”
Abdul Carter, defensive end
Fans got their first live look at Abdul Carter at defensive end on Saturday.
Carter had one tackle for loss in the scrimmage, but showed a lightning quick first step off the line and offered a glimpse into the havoc he could create for opposing offensive line.
“Well, I love challenges,” Carter said of the move to defensive end. “I love trying new things and taking on new things and that’s something I’m doing right now. I’m going through a big change in my position, but it’s going good for me now. I like to adapt to things.”
When asked why he feels he’s better at defensive end than linebacker, Carter didn’t hone in on any specifics but said it highlights what he does best.
“I wouldn’t say anything specific,” Carter said. “I just want to play fast, play physical and do what I do best.”