Penn State’s wide receiver room received a massive boost in January as former five-star Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming announced his transfer to the Nittany Lions for the 2024 season.
Within weeks of his announcement, Fleming made his presence known in the State College community with an outrageous commercial for local auto dealer, Blaze Alexander of Lewisburg, smashing a car windshield and flipping a car over, through an NIL deal that saw Fleming receive a Ram TRX truck in return.
Now, again not even a month after his transfer announcement, Fleming is also making waves in the Penn State Lasch football building, earning rave reviews from his teammates, including his new starting quarterback Drew Allar.
“been really good for the whole team.” Allar told 247 Sports, while speaking at a charity bowling event.
Allar added that “[h]e’s really connected well with that whole receivers room. The receivers have done a great job just working really hard. Julian brings a great mindset to that room.”
After spending four years in one of the best wide receiver rooms in the country, including working alongside three first-round NFL draft picks (and potentially more with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka still to be drafted), Fleming has exactly the experience and mindset Penn State was looking for to reinvigorate the Lions’ wide receiver room.
Allar added that Fleming “does a great job of teaching the younger guys and explaining himself really well.”
<< BUY PENN STATE GEAR >>
How Julian Fleming Can Elevate PSU WRs
While Penn State’s receiver room may not lack the talent to take a step forward in the passing game in 2024 (especially with the addition of Fleming), the position group does lack high-level proven production.
After losing former Kent State transfer wide receiver Dante Cephas to the transfer portal this offseason, only one of the wide receivers returning in 2024 for Penn State, Fleming, has more than 40 career receptions or more than 600 career yards.
This offseason, Penn State wide receiver coach Marques Hagans and new Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will lean on Fleming’s experience and leadership ability to raise the play of the entire Nittany Lions receiver room in 2024.
In the receiver room, Fleming received compliments from redshirt junior Liam Clifford. The brother of former Penn State quarterback and current Green Bay Packer Sean Clifford called Fleming “a great dude” who is “working hard” and will be “awesome for [Penn State’s wide receiver] room.”
Clifford noted to Lions247 that he and Fleming have already “gotten close” since Fleming arrived on campus.
With 15 spring practices, including Penn State’s annual blue and white spring game, ahead, Fleming and the rest of Penn State’s receivers are tasked with learning the new offense under Kotelnicki and building rapport with Allar and Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula ahead of a pivotal 2024 season.
As Fleming is entering likely his final season of eligibility, and Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen entering their third season (after which each would be eligible to declare for the NFL draft for the first time),
Penn State will have lofty expectations to reach the playoff for the first time in the fall.
Fleming’s experience and leadership ability will play a key factor in Penn State’s receivers rising to the occasion in the passing game in the fall and helping Penn State reach the college football playoff for the first time under James Franklin.
MORE: Ranking Penn State’s top-5 New Arrivals for 2024
A note to our readers; If you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission
- It’s Beyond Time for Penn State Football to Claim the 1994 National Championship - September 23, 2024
- Drew Allar: 3 Fast Facts, 2 Bold Predictions for 2024 season - August 26, 2024
- Penn State Football vs. West Virginia Line Falling as Kickoff Nears - August 22, 2024