Scarlet Sunrise: Thriving Julian Fleming has 'huge chip on his shoulder' at Penn State

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Thriving Julian Fleming has ‘huge chip on his shoulder’ at Penn State

Ryan Day admitted it Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days: Ohio State is kind of “top heavy” at the wide receiver position heading into training camp. The Buckeyes need their fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh receiving options to emerge.

While still incredibly talented at the position, Ohio State’s receiver depth took a hit this offseason with the transfer of Kyion Grayes (Cal) and Noah Rogers (North Carolina State).

It also didn’t help that superstar Marvin Harrison Jr. left for the NFL and, more surprisingly, that fellow starting wideout Julian Fleming transferred to Penn State.

Now that Fleming’s in Happy Valley, though, he has a “huge chip on his shoulder,” according to Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin. Fleming is coming off a 26-catch, 270-yard receiving season at Ohio State, where he reeled in 34 passes for 533 yards and six touchdowns the year before.

“He’s a veteran guy that’s played in this conference, he knows what it’s all about,” Franklin said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days. “We’ve got a ton of history with him and his family, recruited him very heavily out of high school. But he’s thriving. He’s very comfortable, he’s very confident. He really came, got on campus [and], like most guys should do, kept his mouth shut, worked, earned everybody’s respect through that first, and now he’s really developing into a leader for us.”

Once the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 wideout — and No. 3 overall prospect — in the 2020 class, Fleming brings a lot to the table. By the time he turned to the portal, he had become arguably Ohio State’s best perimeter blocker on the team.

Franklin said Fleming has improved this offseason, even since the end of spring. He is healthy, lean, explosive and fast right now, Franklin emphasized. Fleming has battled shoulder injuries throughout his career, but Franklin talked Wednesday about how the fifth-year wideout has performed well with Penn State’s strength staff and “has really turned into one of the leaders in that wide receiver room.”

“Receiver’s been the big question mark really since last year,” Franklin said. “We’ve got a ton of confidence in that room, those guys have got a huge chip on their shoulder. Back to the question earlier about the addition of Julian Fleming as well as the [other] guys in that room, they’ve had a great summer, and we’ve got a ton of confidence in what they’re gonna do this year.

“We’re gonna have to play well early on, build confidence and carry that confidence throughout the season.”

Penn State had only one wide receiver tally more than 250 receiving yards last season, and that was KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who finished with 53 receptions, 673 receiving yards and four touchdowns but is now playing for Auburn.

Fleming — a Catawissa, Pennsylvania, native — has an opportunity to star at his home state university in 2024.

Denzel Burke shares why he’s so candid, how he’s changed during Ohio State career

Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke is incredibly candid. What made him that way?

“I honestly always [was] pretty quiet as a kid and really kind of held my tongue,” Burke said. “But as I grew older, I kind of came to realize that when I talk, people listen. It’s my job to be a man of integrity and let people know how I really feel and give them the raw and uncut.

“Because some people won’t give you that, and you need truth tellers in the world.”

For the full story on Burke’s honesty and how he’s changed during his Buckeyes career, go here.

Inside the Lettermen Lounge: Five flip targets for Ohio State in the 2025 class

The 2025 Ohio State recruiting class is mostly solidified. With 24 commits — including a combined 18 four- and five-star prospects — the Buckeyes currently have the second-ranked class in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

But they still have some big-time targets, including a handful of prospects they could try to flip down the stretch of the cycle.

Lettermen Row compiled a list of five flip targets for Ohio State. Check it out here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 36 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 127 days

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