INDIANAPOLIS − Ohio State will be facing a former teammate when the Buckeyes head to Penn State in November.
Plagued by shoulder injuries, Julian Fleming didn’t live up to his billing as the country’s top overall recruit at Ohio State. But he was productive as a Buckeye before transferring and deciding to return to his home state for his final season.
Penn State coach James Franklin said at Big Ten media days on Wednesday that he is glad to have him.
“We recruited him very heavily out of high school,” Franklin said. “He’s thriving. He’s very comfortable, very confident. He got on campus, and like most guys should do, kept his mouth shut and worked and earned everybody’s respect. Now he’s really developing into a leader for us.”
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Fleming caught 79 passes for 963 yards and seven touchdowns in 38 career games as a Buckeye. Those are respectable numbers, and he was a feisty blocker, but he didn’t have the overall impact many expected. The shoulder injuries had much to do with that.
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“He is healthy, lean and explosive right now, just from the feedback from the players over the summer and the metrics from our strength staff,” Franklin said. “He’s got a huge chip on his shoulder and is excited about the opportunity at Penn State.”
Fleming is likely to have a bigger role with the Nittany Lions than he would have at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are loaded at receiver with senior Emeka Egbuka, sophomore Carnell Tate and freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, as well as several others who were blue-chip recruits.
Penn State’s receivers struggled to make big plays last year.
“We’re happy to have him and expect for him to do some big things for us this year,” Franklin said.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What can Penn State expect from former Ohio State football WR Fleming?
The Columbus Dispatch
