After a surprising transfer, KeAndre Lambert-Smith has made his presence known on Auburn’s offense this season.
After being phased out of Penn State’s offensive plan last season, Lambert-Smith is leading the receiver room with 510 receiving yards.
With just a half a season with the Tigers, Lambert-Smith is currently sitting at 24 receptions, 510 receiving yards and six touchdowns. This gives him the possibility to become Auburn’s first 1,000 yard receiver since 1999.
It is not uncommon for Lambert-Smith to lead receiving rooms. At Penn State, Lambert-Smith led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2023. However, in the final four games of the season Lambert-Smith only caught four passes for 28 yard — ultimately leading to his departure.
Lambert-Smith is already on the way to creating new personal bests for himself. With 510 yards halfway through the season, there is no doubt that he will speed past his best 673 yards. This season’s six touchdowns have already surpassed his career high at Penn State.
“I’m trying to do what I can do to help the team win. Whether that’s doing more, I don’t know. But I’m just being myself,” Lambert-Smith said.
Week One: Alabama A&M
Auburn opened the season defeating Alabama A&M, 73-3. Lambert-Smith made his debut by scoring early in the first quarter. He totaled 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns during this game, which ended up being a huge success on the receiving side of the game.
Week Two: Cal
After a huge week offensively, the Tigers could not keep it up against Cal losing 21-14. Lambert-Smith was the first to score in this game with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Payton Thorne. This play ended up being half of Lambert-Smith’s stats for the game. With the offense struggling to keep hold of the ball, Lambert-Smith only had two receptions and a total of 30 yards.
Week Three: New Mexico
In a rainy homecoming game, the Tigers were able to secure their second win against New Mexico 45-19. Lambert-Smith totaled 72 yards in this game. His longest being a memorable 50-yard pass from Hank Brown, putting the Tigers into scoring position early in the game.
Week Four: Arkansas
The Tigers began SEC play against Arkansas, falling short 24-14. This game marked the beginning of Lambert-Smith’s success. He conducted season highs in all three receiving aspects; 156 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns and his longest reception of 67 yards. This 67 yard reception was a fourth down play that moved the Tigers to their own 33 yard line, allowing the Tigers to score later on.
Week Five: Oklahoma
In week five, the Tigers fell 0-2 in SEC play to the Oklahoma Sooners. Offensively, the game went well until a fourth quarter interception that was unresolvable. Lambert-Smith scored one time with five receptions throughout the game.
Week Six: Georgia
Auburn traveled to Georgia territory and were unable to bring home a win, putting them 2-4 on the season. With seven receptions and 95 yards, Lambert-Smith took the lead in the receiving room. After this game, he decided to step up and encourage his teammates.
“It’s just adversity, we’re just going through adverse times right now and adversity builds character, so we’ll look at the film and try to win,” Lambert-Smith said.
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Madelyn Marsh is a freshman from Castroville, Texas, who is majoring in journalism. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
