STATE COLLEGE – It’s been well-documented that Penn State’s wide receivers became a problem last season, lacking the ability to create separation from defensive backs.
But they missed something far more important than speed. They were a rudderless ship. As a group, they lacked leadership from within their room.
That’s why Nittany Lions coach James Franklin recruited former Southern Columbia star Julian Fleming to transfer from Ohio State after last season.
“He stepped into that leadership role that we didn’t really have in the room,” junior Harrison Wallace III said Saturday, “by making sure we do extra things, taking us under his wing, teaching the young guys things that he went through, things that worked for him and things that didn’t work for him.
“He brought the experience and leadership parts. He’s a dog. He comes to work every day.”
The 6-2, 206-pound Fleming has added toughness to the Penn State wide receivers and has raised their expectations. As the oldest player in the group, he’s not bashful about telling others they need to correct their mistakes or to put in extra time.
“He’s seen a lot,” sophomore Kaden Saunders said. “He’s been through a lot. With him being older, he knows the ins and outs of things, especially in the Big Ten. He’s bringing everybody along with him in a good way.”
Fleming was considered a five-star prospect and the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania after his sensational career at Southern Columbia. He chose Ohio State over Penn State, but he played behind such talent as Marvin Harrison III, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who are all in the NFL.
He also dealt with multiple injuries that slowed his progress, yet he caught 60 passes for 803 yards and six touchdowns the last two seasons for the Buckeyes.
“I’ve learned a lot of lessons this being my fifth year of college football,” Fleming said at Penn State Media Day. “It’s kind of too many to even think about right now. But the big one is, as Coach Franklin says, the best ability is availability.
“I’ve had a lot of bumps in my career through injuries and things of that nature. Just being available to be able to play whenever is the biggest thing for me.”
The Lions have a long way to go before their opener Aug. 31 at West Virginia, but Fleming already has made an impact.
“Competitiveness,” offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said when asked to describe Fleming. “He’s going out there and really, really competing, fighting for the ball. His understanding of what we’re doing mentally is really good. He’s spending a lot of time trying to do a hell of a job learning everything.”
Fleming’s presence is vital to Penn State and its offense. The Lions lost leading receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who transferred to Auburn, and three others who also left.
Lambert-Smith led the Lions last season with 53 receptions for 673 yards, but he wasn’t the best leader by many accounts. Wide receivers caught just 20 passes in the final four games, including two by Lambert-Smith.
It’s obvious why the wide receivers were criticized so much last year and why they remain a question mark going into this season.
“It’s not something I follow very often at all,” Fleming said about opinions of the media and fans. “The more you pay attention to the outside influences in college football, the more it can affect the room, the more it can affect the energy in a room and the more it can affect the entire program.
“So right now, our mindset is us versus the world. We’re going to continue to do that, continue to improve throughout camp.”
If Fleming can have the kind of production that Franklin and others think he can have, the wide receivers will give a huge boost to the offense.
Penn State safety Jaylen Reed pulled the receivers aside after practice the other day and told them how they impressed him.
“He said we went out there, really competed and really gave the defense hell,” Wallace said. “He was saying for us to go where we want, our group needs to continue to do that throughout camp and the whole season. We gotta keep doing what we’re doing.”
With Julian Fleming steering the ship.
