Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming enters transfer portal

COLUMBUS — Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming announced that he’s entered the transfer portal after four seasons with the Buckeyes.

“I want to thank Ohio State and all the amazing people who were a part of my roller coaster of a journey,” Fleming wrote in a social media post. “It was an amazing four years, and I have built relationships that will last a lifetime with so many of my fellow players as well as coaches.

“Playing in Columbus has truly been one of the greatest times of my life, and I want to take the time to thank the entire Buckeye nation for all the support! With that being said, I am entering my name into the transfer portal for a final year!”

Thank you Buckeye Nation! pic.twitter.com/THoa38vXji

— Julian Fleming (@julian_040) December 4, 2023

Fleming caught 26 passes for 270 yards this season. His receiving numbers were down from the 2022 season, but he was still a valuable part of the Buckeyes’ offense, serving as the team’s best perimeter run blocker. In fact, his Pro Football Focus run blocking grade of 74.0 was third on the entire team.

Fleming also made some of the most clutch catches of the year, including a 4th-and-7 grab at Notre Dame that kept Ohio State’s game-winning drive in South Bend alive.

To say Fleming’s high school career was prolific would be an understatement. He was the No. 3 overall prospect and top wide receiver in the cycle for a reason. Fleming was Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019 and a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award.

He finished his career at Southern Columbia High School with 255 receptions, 5,514 receiving yards and 77 touchdown grabs. His senior year alone included 72 catches for 1,582 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. At 6-foot-2, Fleming arrived at Ohio State with good height to play outside, but his speed was evident, too — after all, he won the Class AA 100-meter dash at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

Fleming first made his mark at Ohio State in the 2020 Big Ten Championship. With Chris Olave sidelined, Fleming played a season-high 52 snaps, per PFF, and caught four passes for a team-leading 53 yards in a 22-10 win over Northwestern.

In 2021, Fleming topped that playing time only once — Week 10 at Nebraska — and wrapped his sophomore campaign with just 12 catches for 86 yards and a score.

Fleming, who has battled shoulder injuries throughout his career, took his play and work ethic up a notch last season. And it paid off. After being sidelined the first two games of the year, he jumpstarted a productive 2022 with a two-touchdown performance against Toledo. Fleming found the end zone in his first five games last season and was on the receiving end of C.J. Stroud’s longest career touchdown pass: 79 yards versus Iowa. He finished strong, too, catching five passes against Michigan and Georgia.

His 2022 stat line saw him post career highs in receptions (34), receiving yards (533) and touchdowns (six).

With the Buckeyes’ quarterback situation now in question and more five-star wide receivers on the way, Fleming is looking elsewhere to spend his final year of college eligibility.

ICYMI: Kyle McCord enters transfer portal

The third-year quarterback and first-year Buckeyes starter will have two years of eligibility elsewhere.

McCord won the starting quarterback job over Devin Brown last offseason in a battle that went into Week 3 of the regular season. He had a good season for the Buckeyes, throwing for 3,170 yards while posting a 24:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Most notably, he orchestrated a memorable game-winning drive at then-No. 9 Notre Dame with 86 seconds remaining and a signature 3rd-and-19 throw in the chamber.

But he didn’t play to the Ohio State standard at times, leading Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day to decline committing to a second year of a McCord-led offense on Sunday afternoon.

READ: Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord enters transfer portal

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