Mr. Everything Semaj Fleming is Edgewater’s not-so-secret weapon | Recruiting Insider
When an opposing football team is waiting for Edgewater to break its offensive huddle, or line up for its next play, the players always have to be on their toes. Someone has to be eye-balling No. 13 because wherever Semaj Fleming goes, so does the Eagles offense much of the time.
He’s dynamic and he can do it all … wide receiver, slot receiver, running back, wildcat quarterback, you name it. He has even lined up at H-back and played defense as a safety for the Eagles.
“He really is a Swiss Army knife for us,” Edgewater coach Cameron Duke said. “He’s one of the best football players I’ve coached since I’ve been at Edgewater.
“He has started since his freshman year, which is really hard to do here, and the thing that I’m most proud of is his growth and maturity outside of football.”
Fleming is a worker, and he’s dedicated to not only football but class work, his character and his faith. His leadership qualities have been honed and nurtured as he has gotten older.
“He’s always been a really good football player, but he also takes his grades seriously,” Duke said. “He’s a leader. He’s always on time and respectful. From where he was as a person as a freshman to where he is now … that is probably as much growth as I have seen in a player since I’ve been here.”
Fleming takes it all in stride. These are things he expects people to say about him. He’s worked toward that and vows to continue working toward bigger and better things. He’s humble, somewhat quiet, yet dynamic and loud at the same time. It depends on the moment.
Fleming also expects a lot of himself. He expects people to think he is the best football player in Central Florida, and he vows to work to that goal no matter what it takes. But, at the same time, he realizes it’s not necessarily that important for others to think what he already believes.
Fleming is 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, so he’s not the biggest player on the field, but he makes up for that with his talent. He’s fast, shifty, has good hands, great field awareness and explosiveness in hitting holes or turning out of his routes gives him his advantage. He makes tacklers miss and it takes a lot to get him. He’s slippery like oil so they better wrap up or he’s gone.
He has Football Bowl Subdivision 19 scholarship offers, but knows there will be more to come.
“Process is going good and I’m meeting new people and going to places I’ve never been before,” Fleming said. “I think I should have more [offers], but that just makes me work harder, on and off the field, to get where I want to be.”
He is another player who’s size holds back some coaches from offering, but he’s pleased with what he does have.
“My size has a little bit to do with it, but that’s not going to stop me from doing what I do, being a dawg out on the field,” Fleming said. “I just go day by day, not worrying about it and I just keep making plays and showing coaches that I’m the No. 1 guy.”
Awe yes, being No. 1. Fleming is ranked as the No. 3 player in the Sentinel’s 2025 Central Florida Super60. That status could change. Fleming thinks it should.
“I should be No. 1, but I’m going to keep working to get that No. 1,” he said. “I’d rather work for what’s mine. It’s very important to me. I just want to be known out there as the best.”
He’s been a starter at Edgewater since his freshman season when he started out playing safety.
“I’ve come a long way since freshman year … working out, getting bigger and stronger,” Fleming said. “I know the game more and the game has been slowing down for me a lot with mental reps and stuff like that.”
He was named one of the MVPs at the Orlando Under Armour Camp in February, but he does still feel the need to prove himself.
“I feel like people are taking notice and I’ll get there eventually,” Fleming said. “It’s not frustrating. It just motivates me to keep working to get what I want.”
This is the year for Fleming to shine. Last season he ran the ball 77 times for 631 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s 8 yards per carry and a touchdown every seven times he touched the ball. As a receiver, he caught 23 for 426 yards and 3 more TDs, an average of 20.3 yards per catch. He also had 126 yards on kickoff returns and averaged 102 total yards per game.
Not too shabby for a kid many consider to be too small for the next level. Fleming will get his shot, however, and the size will not be a factor. Like he said, he will do anything a coach wants and his drive and dedication are unparalleled.
He just gets things done.
“This year will be something completely different,” Fleming said. “I’m going to make sure everybody who doubted me … they’ll see.
“I’m not satisfied yet. I still have things I need to accomplish before I’ll be satisfied.”
Chris Hays covers high school and college football, as well as college football recruiting. He can be reached via email at chays@orlandosentinel.com.
