State College, Pennsylvania, and Auburn, Alabama, are worlds apart in many ways, but for Auburn’s new wide receiver, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the biggest shock has been adjusting to the intense summer heat of the Deep South.
“It got hot up there in the summer, but this is a different type of heat,” Lambert-Smith remarked on Thursday.
The sweltering climate made the early days of fall camp particularly challenging, but he’s gradually acclimating. “The first day of camp, my legs felt weak, and I started seeing things,” he admitted. “But I’ve gotten used to it now.”
Lambert-Smith transferred to Auburn from Penn State in April after spending four seasons in State College, where his 2023 season was a standout, marked by career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. His decision to join Auburn was influenced by the offensive style and his connection with the coaching staff.
When he arrived at Auburn, it wasn’t his first encounter with the team. Lambert-Smith had played against Auburn in 2021 and 2022 while at Penn State, with the Nittany Lions winning both games.
“They ask me, ‘Did we play against you?’ and I tell them, ‘Yeah, I’m 2-0 against you guys,’” Lambert-Smith said with a grin. “But now we’re on the same side. I’m with the good guys now.”
The heat was also the first thing that stood out to him when Penn State visited Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2022.
“Coach Franklin warned us, ‘It’s a different kind of heat down there.’ But when I got down here, just during warm-ups, it felt like I had played an entire game,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘There’s no way I could ever play in this heat.’ And now here I am.”
Lambert-Smith’s first game back in the heat at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be on August 31, when Auburn faces Alabama A&M.
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