KeAndre Lambert-Smith separated himself in Penn State’s wide receiver room during spring camp.

He and Harrison Wallace III figure to be two of the top targets this fall, something coach James Franklin made clear after camp and over the summer.

Franklin also emphasized the need for a third wide receiver to step up. It’s one of the biggest questions surrounding Penn State entering preseason camp, and that’s only been amplified since the Nittany Lions started practicing last week.

Lambert-Smith, speaking with reporters Thursday night, was asked if a third option in the passing game has emerged. He responded by rattling off a handful of receivers.

Lambert-Smith mentioned Kent State transfer Dante Cephas. He name-dropped Florida State transfer Malik McClain. And he gave a shoutout to Malick Meiga.

“But the guy who’s standing out to me specifically is (Kaden) Saunders,” Lambert-Smith said. “The practice before last he had two touchdowns. Last practice he could have had another two. He’s been making plays, being the guy we need him to be.”

Lambert-Smith’s praise is a positive sign for Saunders, who struggled to catch on last fall as a true freshman after arriving as such a highly touted prospect.

Saunders was Penn State’s fourth-highest rated recruit in the 2022 class, joining Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Dani Dennis-Sutton in the top 60 nationally, per 247 Sports. And while other freshmen flourished, Saunders hardly saw the field, playing in only three games.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Saunders, who logged just 32 offensive snaps last season, was honest in February when assessing his first year on campus.

“After the (high school) season, I was trying to enjoy my last little bit of time with my family,” Saunders said. “I wasn’t training how I was supposed to be training. When I came in, my body composition was all out of whack.”

Saunders was expecting to come in and make an immediate impact. Instead, he mostly watched from the sidelines as other receivers climbed the depth chart.

So Saunders challenged himself to be a part of the equation this year. He said in February that he felt like “a whole different player” in a good way. And now, it seems like he’s starting to show that, a welcome sign for a receiver room in transition.

“He feels more comfortable in the system,” Lambert-Smith added. “He’s just playing explosive. The guy who he was coming out of high school, I feel him coming back to that. He’s standing out to me.”