Former Ohio State Receiver Julian Fleming Transferring to Penn State

Ohio State wide receiver transfer Julian Fleming has committed to Penn State, he announced Wednesday on his Instagram account.

“Excited for a new chapter! #WEARE,” he wrote.

Fleming comes to Penn State after a fairly high profile recruiting between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes for the 2020 signing class, when he was the No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania at Southern Columbia in Catawissa.

He eventually landed in Columbus, and in four seasons he recorded 73 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2023, he had 26 receptions for 270 yards. Ohio State had largely leaned on the talents of Marvin Harrison Jr. the past several seasons, but by all accounts, Fleming never quite panned out in the way that his former standing as the nation’s third-best player in the 2020 recruiting cycle might have led one to expect.

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The 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver will head to Penn State now with just one season of eligibility remaining but could turn out to be a crucial piece to Penn State’s offensive puzzle as it looks to rebound from a lackluster 2023 year from a receiving room that struggled to find consistency. Now former Nittany Lion Dante Cephas reportedly will enter the transfer portal, according to report by On3 on Wednesday.

Penn State will hope the second time is the charm with a once highly rated receiver prospect. The Nittany Lions’ last foray with a top-rated receiver talent was then five-star wideout Justin Shorter, who would eventually transfer to Florida, putting together a somewhat lackluster college career before ending up with the Buffalo Bills.