Whenever I post a video or story about Penn State wide receiver Julian Fleming, it gets the kind of heavy traffic that no one else on the Nittany Lion roster or coaching staff receives. I mean, you’re reading this, aren’t you?
For good reason. Fleming has been a household name around Penn State football country since at least 2018, when he was named Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year while at Southern Columbia High School.
You know the story: Fleming was heavily recruited by James Franklin, but ultimately — after finishing his high school career as the state’s career leader in TD receptions (77) and receiving yards (5,514) — Fleming spurned Franklin and Penn State, and went to Ohio State.
As a Buckeye, he was never WR1, battling a room full of first-round NFL Draft picks, beginning with Marvin Harrison Jr., and a spat of injuries. Then, finally in January 2024 after contemplating entering the draft himself, he transferred to Penn State.
Julian Fleming was home. At last.
And now, Penn State fans can’t get enough of him. Even more so after his performance against Kent State on Saturday, in the Nittany Lions’ historic 718-yard offensive outburst that led to a 56-0 victory against what may be college football’s worst, or at least most unfortunate, team.
Fleming, who was held to a single catch in his first two games wearing the Blue & White, made a pair of first-half grabs against the Golden Flash. Both were on first-and-10s. The first came in the opening quarter, a 21-yarder down the middle from QB Drew Allar. The second came in the second quarter, also down the middle, for 39 yards.
That gave Fleming two receptions for 60 yards, and put him over the thousand-yard career mark — with 82 grabs for 1,026 yards. Even after four seasons at Ohio State, Saturday was one of Fleming’s more productive games, at least yardage-wise. (Yeah, I’m as surprised as you are.)
The 60 yards receiving is No. 5 on his all-time college chart for single games, headed by a 2-for-105-yard performance against Iowa in 2022. That was his only 100-yard game in college. The 39-yarder against Kent State ranks No. 3 on Fleming’s all-time list for longest receptions, behind a 71-yarder against the Hawkeyes and a 51-yarder against Michigan State, both in 2022.
DAM GOOD POST-GAME
After the Kent State game, Fleming met with the media and was in a genuinely great mood — happy for the win, happy for the two big catches, happy for the dam to break.
He had played in Beaver Stadium twice as a Buckeye — in the late October 2020 season opener, when COVID meant only a handful fans were in the stands, and a 38-25 Ohio State victory. And then again in 2022, when Ohio State won 44-31. Overall, Fleming was 4-0 against Penn State while wearing the Scarlet & Grey.
On Saturday, he was asked what it was like playing in Beaver Stadium, but running out of the south end zone tunnel and standing along the east sidelines, hearing cheers instead of jeers.
His body language said it all. Fleming flashed his teeth with a huge grin. He spread his arms wide and moved his hands to show his excitement. He tilted his head. And I swear, his eyes glistened. In 18 seconds and 56 words, you could tell he was (finally) happy to be a Nittany Lion:
“Awesome. You know, you never really get to embrace the whole thing when you’re on the other side,” Fleming shared. “And just being able to look up and be like, ‘Man, look at all these people all here, all coming together for one game. And they’re all supporting Pennsylvania. I think it’s honestly a really, really great experience.”
The Internet loved his answer. And loves that he is playing his final season in Beaver Stadium. It is just 90.6 miles from Southern Columbia Area Football Stadium, along Southern Drive (Route 487) in Catawissa. It was a circuitous route, for sure, from there to Happy Valley.
In the 24 hours after posting that clip on X/Twitter, it got over 72,000 views and 820 likes. And counting. It was a Sally Fields “they like me” moment.
Fleming’s appeal is multi-faceted, and simple to understand. He’s the local kid, who has finally come home — with a bit less luster after doing good but not great in Columbus. Divorced from his first team, older and wiser and a bit thicker, but anxious to find himself and regain his legs in familiar environs surrounded by friends and family and fans who remember his best days. With the hopes of still finding the bright lights and big stage of the NFL. (Now wait, isn’t that a Taylor Swift song?)
Fleming still holds a five-star pedigree. And Penn State has not had one of those at wide receiver since Justin Shorter left. (Let alone an in-state five-star wide receiver.) As some stories go, that Shorter did not succeed at Penn State as a highly-touted high school prospect influenced Fleming’s decision to go elsewhere.
Plus, Fleming is a known and stabilizing factor in a wide receiver room that has faced turmoil and trouble of all kinds for quite awhile. Five Penn State wide receivers transferred after last season — KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Dante Cephas, Malik McClain, Malick Meiga and Cristian Driver. Cephas and McClain were one-year wanderers. Meiga was a co-captain, for goodness sakes. Driver was a(n unhappy) legacy and KLS’s legacy was being mostly unhappy.
They were preceded in the portal by receivers like Jaden Dottin and John Dunmore. Another JD — Jahan Dotson, a big PSU success story — seems like so long ago. To say nothing of that fact that Franklin has had four wide receiver coaches in the past seven years and two in the last three seasons.
Fleming is a breath of fresh air. Fresh Central PA air. And there is an air about Fleming. He’s humble, below-the-radar charismatic, likeable, down-to-earth and carries himself with a simmering cool that another Fleming — Ian — used to write about.
Even the way he warms up in pre-game is fun to watch, as the clip above from Saturday shows. He makes a one-handed grab like he’s eating a bowl of Cheerios.
Every interaction I’ve had with Fleming, he’s been what Penn State fans like to expect from their stars. That’s dating back to a Mr. PA Football banquet in Harrisburg to a chance encounter in a Penn State campus parking lot this summer. He’s a good guy.
And, who doesn’t like to root for them?
