Is Penn State wide receiver versatility a good thing? Breaking down the team’s new plan
When we discuss storylines for any given offseason or regular season, there is a somewhat misunderstood assumption that they end when the next phase of the year begins. There’s also the thought that when the Penn State coaching staff makes a decision, its iron-clad.
The reality, as always, is somewhere in the middle.
Penn State pivoting at wide receiver
Take the Penn State wide receivers, for example. This offseason, we’ve focused on KeAndre Lambert-Smith’s move to the slot and his skills to make an impact from that position. For most of the year, that’s what we’ve seen from the team.
That is, until about two weeks ago.
“For the first time since the 2022 season ended, we had a position switch from the Nittany Lions offense. Top receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith returned to his role on the outside of the offensive formation. Lambert-Smith had exclusively worked in the slot for the spring and summer but the numbers in the slot seemingly dedicated the move.
Replacing him with the first-team offense was redshirt sophomore Liam Clifford. The third-year wideout has been a strong presence during camp. The move also elevated Penn State redshirt freshman Kaden Saunders to the second-team offense.”
What began as a practice observation became a fully developed talking point for the Penn State coaching staff. Head coach James Franklin explained the move on Wednesday.
“I think we’re more consistent than we’ve been in the past. I think you’ll see two guys, Trey and Dre, play in more of a starter type roles that tap, and then you’ll see that other position be more of a rotation. You’ll see some position flexibility for us to get that third guy on the field. We feel like we have the ability to move Dre and Trey around, which is important to get those other guys on the field. But it also makes it difficult for West Virginia and our opponents to say, ‘Okay, Dre’s always going to be the X, and Trey’s going to be at the Z; there’s power in that. So they can’t focus on a position and try to eliminate them.”
Whether Penn State had secretly been working in Lambert-Smith as an outside receiver all offseason without the media present is immaterial. That’s now the plan. The team is leaning on the versatility of Lambert-Smith, who was the team’s X receiver until Parker Washington’s injury last year.
But from Lamber-Smith’s point of view, that versatility helps him make more plays.
“It allows you to stay in the game longer, play more positions, [and] you can be used more. I feel like that’s what everybody wants to do. Don’t nobody want to come out of the game. So if you can go from outside to the slot if we need a slot, then it’s better. It just comes with studying and making sure you’re on top of your game because it could get tricky because we’ve got a big playbook,” Lambert-Smith said after practice this week.
Teammate Keaton Ellis thinks that Lambert-Smith can handle the extra mental workload after working hard to improve his mentality and poise.
“He’s definitely grown. Just to see his maturity has been awesome, and he’s going to be a great player for us.”
Reading between the lines
Moving Lambert-Smith around the formation was always a possibility and something the Penn State coaching staff had in its back pocket. But you can’t consider this “Plan A”. After all, there was a reason that Penn State wanted to move Lambert-Smith into the slot in the first place. Lambert-Smith has the coaching staff’s confidence, but he still has to prove that he’s top-target material. Doing that from the slot was to help him beat physical press coverage by formation.
Now, at least when he’s lined up as an outside receiver, that task is back on his plate.
But this news isn’t really about Lambert-Smith. This talking-point pivot is really about the other players around him—specifically Omari Evans and Dante Cephas, the projected Z receivers through camp. We’ve discussed Cephas’ transition during camp, but this clearly indicates that Evans’ step forward during the final week of training camp didn’t translate into a more significant step forward in consistency.
But thanks to the team’s depth overall at the skill positions, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich can pivot. The team can feature two tight ends, which they would likely do anyway. But now this decision feels like one made for them rather than one they choose.
Not all bad news
Even then, this isn’t a reflection solely on the outside receivers. As we’ve discussed through the camp, Clifford has been one of the most consistent players and seemingly gelled with new position coach Marques Hagans’ style. Something had to give to get Clifford on the field more. Penn State has a log-jam of talented slot receivers, with Saunders also regularly drawing praise from teammates.
Clifford and Saunders can see the field more by moving Lambert-Smith around the formation. Now Saunders, who fans have been clamoring to see more of as a former highly-rated recruit, is more of a 2.5 on the depth chart instead of a third-string player.
Will Penn State need its best lineup this weekend? Probably not. But the battle on the receiver depth chart must continue. The team will still need Cephas and Evans to find another gear later in the season. The best three-receiver lineup has Lambert-Smith in the slot, not on the outside. Having an added layer of flexibility is great, but the team needs its fastball come October.
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