Tag: Julian Fleming

Julian Fleming emerging as important player for Penn State

It sure sounds as if Julian Fleming is fitting right in with his new Penn State teammates.

Penn State missed out on [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] when he was a highly-touted recruit out of Pennsylvania. The five-star ultimately chose Ohio State after a long, drawn out process that left many fans with a sour taste in their mouths.

However, as a graduate transfer, Fleming decided to come back home and become a member of the Nittany Lions for his final year of college football.

With there being a clear need for upgrades in the wide receiver room heading into the 2024-25 season, this was met with a lot of excitement considering he can immediately have an impact.

Early reviews coming out of spring camp have been great.

“The guys love him. 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 just been really good,” [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] said according to Tyler Donohue of 247Sports.

There was some uneasiness going into the second recruitment of Fleming based on what had transpired previously, but Franklin decided to personally reach out when the former coveted wide receiver entered his name into the portal.

Fleming talked about how both sides have grown and there was no issue building relationships the second time around.

As a fifth-year senior, he’ll be expected to have a leadership role within the locker room, something that the current players are noting he’s already starting to do.

“I’ve been nothing but impressed with Julian. He handles everything the right way and approaches everything like a pro … And he’s also bringing the young guys along. I think he’s a great mentor for all them,” [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] said back in February.

That’s a positive sign coming from the other position that the receiver will be working closely with.

But Allar isn’t the only one who Fleming has impressed so far.

“He’ll make a great impact and (be) a great leader. I think he could be a great leader for us. Like he does everything right. … Just the way he approaches practice, anything he does, it’s always the same. You never see him down bad. He’s always got good posture,” [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] added.

While Fleming will ultimately be judged by what he accomplishes on the field, his impact could be felt more than just the dozen or so games played on Saturdays.

The early reviews are a great sign that this new marriage is going to work for the upcoming season, and his presence could help the Nittany Lions develop their young receivers into becoming top-level performers as well.

James Franklin on how Andy Kotelnicki will help Drew Allar in 2024

James Franklin says Andy Kotelnicki will have a few ways to help take the pressure off Drew Allar in 2024.

After a frustrating season with the offense in 2023, Penn State is hoping for much more positive and explosive results in 2024. Penn State hired one of the top offensive coordinators in the country this offseason with the addition of [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] from Kansas, and the transfer portal has likely helped add some potential to improve the passing game with the addition of [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] from Ohio State. But head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] knows all of these changes will only help out if Kotelnicki and quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], who is heading into his second season as the starting quarterback, get on the same page as early as possible.

Kotelnicki and Allar are getting more of a feel for each other this spring as football practices continue on and lead up to next month’s spring game, the Blue-White Game, but Franklin knows there will be a lot that goe sinto helping Allar take his game to the next level. And he belives Kotelnicki will use a number of things to help take the pressure off of Allar and improve his game this fall.

“I think some of the things that we can do to compliment the run game in the play action pass to create explosive plays to open really the field up and make them defend the whole 120 yards and the whole 53 and one-third, I think is really important, and I think the play-action pass will be a big part of that with Drew, with Andy, with our offense in general,” Franklin said in a recent press conference.

“The other thing is, I think some things that you can do that we did later in the season,” Franklin added. “I think the last two games, if you look at our explosive play percentage, it dramatically increased. I think there’s some things that you can do with the wide receivers in terms of motion, in terms of alignment, like stacks and bunches and things like that, that we can do to help our guys versus man coverage. I think that’s going to be really, really important for us as well.”

Penn State was lacking in explosive plays last season but the return of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and the addition of Fleming could help change that a bit this fall. Opposing defenses were rarely threatened by Penn State’s wide receivers, so the hope will be that Kotelnicki finds ways to get the ball to Allar’s targets quicker so they can do some damage.

Quotes provided by Penn State athletics.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Penn State football transfer portal tracker

The transfer portal is open. Stay on top of every Penn State transfer coming and going with our updated tracker.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Sure, the holiday season is in full swing, but the transfer portal for college football is officially open, and Penn State will once again look to be active in the portal activity in an attempt to bolster a couple of positions in need of improvement.

Of course, a number of players on the football roster will take this opportunity to explore some other opportunities to find a new environment that will allow them to embrace a fresh start, pursue more playing time with another program, or simply just move closer to home.

The first day of the transfer portal being open led to a couple of Penn State players entering their names in the transfer portal. And we are ready to keep track of all of the transfer portal activity this month.

The transfer portal opened on Dec. 4, 2023 and closes on Jan. 2, 2024. Here is a look at the latest developments with the portal and Penn State with a review of what players are currently in the transfer portal, who has committed elsewhere, and what players are coming to Penn State out of the portal.

Penn State players in transfer portal: 3

Penn State players who have committed elsewhere from the portal: 4

Players coming to Penn State from the transfer portal: 6

Penn State’s leading receiver poised to return for the 2024 season

Penn State’s leading receiver shared a social media post seemingly suggesting he has made up his mind for the 2024 season.

The wide receivers were Penn State’s worst position group throughout the 2023 season. It never seemed to completely click between the receivers and starting quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. No pass catcher surpassed the 700-yard mark or 53 receptions.

Yesterday evening, Penn State’s leading receiver from a season ago, [autotag]KeAndre Lambert Smith[/autotag], posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), giving a shoutout to Penn State’s NIL collective, Happy Valley United. Although this is technically not an explicit declaration of returning to State College, it does seem that the post, plus no announcement from Lambert-Smith about NFL draft plans, points to a return.

With former Ohio State wide receiver and former 5-star recruit [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] also now in the fold, the wide receiver room seems to be trending in the right direction. Lambert-Smith caught 53 passes for 673 yards and four touchdowns. The return of ‘KLS’ adds to the veteran leadership presence to mentor the younger guys like [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] and [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag].

Consistency will be key up and down the depth chart, but no doubt new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelenicki will count on Lambert-Smith and others to produce far better than last year. The receiver group will definitely be a position to watch throughout spring ball and as the season approaches.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

Penn State lands former 5-star Georgia transfer A.J. Harris from transfer portal

Penn State lands former five-star CB out of the transfer portal

Penn State has been busy in the transfer portal this offseason as they’ve started to address some of the holes that became open with the departures of those declaring for the NFL draft and graduating.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff have been able to get some blue chip talent in the portal as well, landing five-star high school talents like wide receiver [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Nolan Rucci[/autotag].

Now on Thursday, they have secured a commitment from another elite talent in former Georgia cornerback A.J. Harris according to BlueWhiteIllustrated.

“Harris did not make a public announcement, but BWI confirmed on Wednesday that the former Bulldog is on campus and attending classes at University Park for the spring semester,” writes Sean Fitz.

This is a huge get for the Nittany Lions.

247Sports rated the 6’1″ 190 pound corner as a five-star recruit in the class of 2023. He was able to play as a freshman at Georgia, although in a limited role, recording eight tackles in seven games.

After not playing in November, he decided to look at other schools where will play the remaining three seasons of his college football eligibility.

Harris was the 12th overall player in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings and the No. 1 cornerback.

Penn State only has one upperclassmen in their cornerback room next year in [autotag]Cam Miller[/autotag], so the former five-star recruit gives the Nittany Lions more talent, depth and options heading into the spring.

After landing Harris, this has become one of the best offseasons that Penn State has had in the transfer portal to date, getting three former five-star recruits and players who should immediately be able to help.

Penn State gets another addition with Florida transfer cornerback

Penn State adds defensive back from SEC school out of transfer portal.

Penn State has things absolutely rolling in the transfer portal during the early cycle.

Wide receiver was the biggest need they had to address and they were able to land [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag]. Then two players from Wisconsin decided to come to Happy Valley with offensive tackle [autotag]Nolan Rucci[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Jordan Mayer[/autotag] transferring to Penn State.

The good news continued to come when former five-star cornerback and Georgia Bulldog, [autotag]A.J. Harris[/autotag], committed to the Nittany Lions.

Now, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has landed another defensive piece by getting Florida cornerback transfer [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] to flip his commitment from Louisville to Penn State on Thursday.

The 6’0″ 185-pound corner initially enrolled at Georgia coming out of high school as a four-star rated prospect and the No. 105 player in the 2020 class.

He then transferred to Florida in 2022 and spent two seasons there, playing in 25 games and recording 36 tackles with one interception.

Kimber will spend his final year of eligibility with Penn State and could become an immediate starter with only one upperclassman in the cornerback room.

Initially, it looked like he was headed to Louisville after he committed to them early on in his process without ever visiting their campus.

Kimber still decided to see Penn State and that’s where his thought process started to change after meeting with the coaching staff and developing a relationship with cornerbacks coach [autotag]Terry Smith[/autotag].

The next steps will move quickly for the Nittany Lions.

Greg Pickel of BlueWhiteIlustrated reports, “Kimber is likely to enroll for the spring semester and start classes next week. That, of course, will allow him to participate in spring practice.”

Getting him involved in spring practices will be an important step to ensuring he can be a starter on this team heading into next season as he’ll get a full offseason of work with new defensive coordinator [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag].

It’s been a great transfer season so far for Penn State and it doesn’t seem like they are done adding yet.

Penn State’s top transfer portal WR target commits to Colorado

Penn State missed out on another wide receiver transfer in the portal.

Wide receiver is the most important thing that Penn State needs to address this offseason when looking for upgrades in the transfer portal.

With all the heat the offense and quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] received this past year, much of it was due to their below-average receiver room that had difficulty separating and holding onto the ball.

Getting [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] is a good start, but with so many questions about the players currently in that room, adding more players would certainly be welcome.

The Nittany Lions were prioritizing [autotag]LaJohntay Wester[/autotag] who entered the portal after spending four years with Florida Atlantic.

Wester is a 5’11” 167 pounder who was really productive at the Group of 5 level, catching 252 balls for 2,703 yards and 21 receiving touchdowns in his career there.

This past season, he had his career best production with 108 catches, 1,168 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.

Penn State was heavily recruiting the upperclassman in the transfer portal before he committed to Colorado as announced on his social media page.

Colorado’s current quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, publicly campaigned for Wester to come to Boulder for the upcoming season and it looks like those efforts worked.

Penn State will now have to turn their attention to others who are available in the portal after missing out on two of their top wide receiver targets with Georgia landing Miami transfer, Colbie Young, back in December 2023.

Fleming is a nice addition, but based on how the unit look last year, the Nittany Lions will need to continue searching for others who could potentially impact the team immediately.

Wide receiver continues to be the topic of conversation for Penn State after missing out on one of their top targets.

Where experts rank Penn State in their way-too-early Top 25 projections

Experts rank Penn State in their way-too-early Top 25

The college football season reaches its pinnacle tonight, with Michigan and Washington facing off in the CFP National Championship game. However, it is never too early to look at the 2024 season, especially when predicting what the Top 25 will look like this August.

Penn State ended its 2023 season on a sour note, losing to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. With several players off to the NFL and two new coordinators now in the fold, it will be an exciting offseason to watch from a fan’s perspective. Some interesting pieces have come in through the transfer Portal, including [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] and [autotag]Nolan Rucci[/autotag]. Can they be difference-makers? Only time will tell.

The Nittany Lions opened up this past season as the nation’s seventh-ranked team. If I had to guess, that would be the ceiling for a preseason Top-25 ranking, the more likely spot being between 10 and 12. Let’s see where some college football experts rank Penn State in their way-too-early Top 25 projections.

Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming transfers home to Penn State

As expected, Julian Fleming is heading home.

It was somewhat of a surprise to see Julian Fleming enter the transfer portal after the Michigan game this season. But after graduating with a degree from The Ohio State University, Fleming decided to part ways and use his final year of eligibility elsewhere.

Most felt he would head back home to Pennsylvania and that’s exactly what he’ll do. Fleming made it official on Wednesday and announced he would be joining Penn State.

Fleming was the No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the 2020 class and the No. 3 overall prospect. The five-star prospect chose the Buckeyes over the hometown Nittany Lions in what he said was a tough decision.

As an OSU receiver, Fleming never really lived up to the hype, but much of that was due to injuries and being overshadowed by the likes of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. Still, the young man put up respectable numbers as a third and sometimes fourth option in the passing game. In his final two seasons in Scarlet and Gray, Fleming caught 60 passes for 803 yards and six touchdowns.

Fleming will face his former team in Happy Valley on Nov. 2 in Beaver Stadium.

Fleming is the 12th member of the football team to find a new home via the transfer portal.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. 

Ex-Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming announces transfer to Penn State

Former Buckeye Julian Fleming announces he is transferring to Penn State.

On the same day Penn State lost a receiver to the transfer portal, one also joined them.

After a week or so of several rumors of a possible commitment, former Ohio State five-star recruit Julian Fleming told On3 that he is committing to the Nittany Lions. The Catawissa, PA native was the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class and the top overall recruit in ESPN’s rankings.

Fleming will have one year of eligibility remaining and will immediately step in as the Nittany Lions’ number-one receiver for a team in desperate need of one. Fleming had 26 catches for 270 yards in the 2023 season. He totaled 79 receptions for 963 yards and seven touchdowns during his time in Columbus.

Fleming’s collegiate career has been a letdown, considering his recruiting status. Injuries and being behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka on the depth chart led to limited opportunities for consistent production. It helps that there is familiarity between Penn State and Fleming as he was heavily recruited by [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] coming out of Southern Columbia High School, which is only a short drive from State College.

Although Fleming might not be on the same trajectory he had in 2020, he has upside and fills the biggest hole on Penn State’s roster. Fleming had this to say to On3 regarding his transfer to the Nittany Lions:

“My family’s there,” Fleming said. “Grandfather is getting older and my sisters are growing up. So them being able to only be an hour away and come to all the games was important to me.”

Fleming will for sure receive the snaps that he didn’t get at Ohio State, and he’ll have every chance in the world to become [autotag]Drew Allar’s[/autotag] top target. More receivers are still needed, and perhaps another addition through the portal, which we will keep an eye on with our transfer portal tracker, will happen in the coming weeks.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.