Ohio State Buckeye to Penn State football: How Julian Fleming is 'coming home' again

Penn State football will be re-united with a most familiar wide receiver through the NCAA transfer portal.

Former Ohio State wideout Julian Fleming — a Nittany Lions' top recruiting priority five years ago — has announced he is coming home, so to speak, to finish his college career. The move was reported by multiple sites Wednesday afternoon, including On3.com.

The fifth-year senior and Catawissa, Pa. native, hopes to bolster a Penn State receiver room that underperformed throughout 2023, rarely providing quarterback Drew Allar with reliable targets, especially big-play possibilities.

Fleming is the Nittany Lions' second transfer portal addition during the winter open cycle, which runs through the first week of the January. Tulsa kicker Chase Meyer announced his transfer decision on Dec. 17.

Fleming will use his extra COVID-season of eligibility provided by the NCAA. He'll work under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and second-year wideout coach Marques Hagans.

“My family’s there,” Fleming told On3's Hayes Fawcett. “Grandfather is getting older and my sisters are growing up. So them being able to only be an hour away and come to all the games was important to me.”

He joins a crowded, but underwhelming group as no Penn State receiver averaged more than 56 receiving yards per game in 2023 and its No. 1 target and leader, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, faded down the stretch.

Penn State's catch leaders last season: Lambert-Smith (53), Dante Cephus (22) and Tre Wallace (19).

Penn State football: Julian Fleming joins, who's next?

Fleming visited Penn State a dozen times or more during the recruiting process but eventually picked the Buckeyes over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and, of course, PSU. He was the highest-ranked receiving prospect in the nation at the time.

He struggled to find a consistent role early, especially dealing with shoulder injuries, and managed just 19 catches combined in his freshman and sophomore seasons. He did earn a starting spot in Ohio State's loaded receiver room as a junior in 2022 and unlocked his 5-star recruiting potential with 34 receptions for 533 yards and six touchdowns.

His numbers dropped this past season and he did not find the end zone.

Penn State and head coach James Franklin may certainly try to add multiple receivers via the transfer portal.

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Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Ohio State Buckeye Julian Fleming joins Lions