“To me, Ohio State is home.”
The No. 1 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class is going to be a Buckeye. Julian Fleming, a 6-foot-2, 199 lb. prospect from Catawissa, Penn. just announced his commitment.
Final destination…… 4’s out ✌? pic.twitter.com/bX3qjQEA8R
— ?0J4? (@julian_040) May 31, 2019
Fleming is rated as a 5-star prospect, and the No. 6 player overall in the class of 2020.
He chose the Buckeyes over Clemson and Penn State, and also held offers from schools like Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Michigan, and USC.
This is unquestionably a massive addition to Ryan Day’s first full recruiting class.
Fleming was named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year for Pennsylvania. He recorded 1,497 yards and 22 touchdowns receiving. He added four interceptions on defense, three of which he returned for touchdowns.
But there’s no doubt where he’ll play in college: wide receiver.
Fleming showcases remarkable speed on his highlight reel (below). While many highly-ranked wide receivers pad their stats by catching wide-open bombs, many of Fleming’s scores come on short passes.
He consistently outruns angles, splits defenders, and scores on both offense and special teams.
His speed would suggest that he profiles as a Z receiver in the Ohio State offense. That’s the same position played by speedy deep threats like Johnnie Dixon, Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson.
But Fleming is 6-foot-2 and 199 lbs., basically the same size as Austin Mack, who plays the X position. That combination of size and speed should make him a unique threat at the college level, whichever position he plays.
With Wilson and Fleming, the Buckeyes have now secured commitments from top-2 wide receivers in each of the last two recruiting cycles.
Fleming is the third wide receiver to commit to the Buckeyes for 2020, joining four-star prospects Gee Scott and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
His high school team, Southern Columbia, won the Class AA state championship in 2018, and enters the 2019 season on a 32-game winning streak.
You can watch Fleming’s junior season highlight reel below.
