Ohio State junior wide receiver Julian Fleming has had a breakout season, emerging in an impressive Ohio State wide receiver core. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
Looking at junior wide receiver Julian Fleming’s stats from 2021 to 2022, the improvement in almost every category is a standout difference between his second and third seasons.
Injuries throughout his time at Ohio State originally hindered Fleming’s production, but this season, he is more involved than ever, catching 19 passes for 354 yards along with six touchdowns. Fleming said he feels the injuries he has overcome have made him a stronger player.
“I didn’t really embrace those injuries in the process. As time went on, I finally realized that adversity is really carved into me and to the person that I wanted to be at the end goal,” Fleming said. “I just had to embrace everything that I’ve been through and kind of wear it on my shoulder and just bring that chip in every single day.”
Fleming had dealt with a shoulder injury which has affected his play since high school. He underwent a procedure to his left shoulder after his first year at Ohio State and struggled to continuously stay on the field.
Fleming said he felt everything started to click for him last offseason. It was a wake-up call for him, and he wanted to excel, as Fleming said he told himself to lock in and buy into maximizing his full potential on the field.
“I’ve made some sacrifices along the way,” Fleming said. “It’s gone pretty well, but the sky’s the limit. So, you just got to keep improving in every aspect as a team and as an individual.”
Head coach Ryan Day said Fleming had a great offseason, and everyone is now seeing the best version of him.
“I remember watching him in high school, and he was always good, big, strong, long strides. He can eat up a lot of ground,” Day said. “He can track a ball very well. He’s strong, he’s powerful, he’s physical, and he’s a presence out there. You’re starting to see the big-play ability downfield the last three games.”
Fleming said the offensive scheme helped him excel this season with catching passes farther down the field.
Fleming also said his success as a route runner comes from his teammates. The consistent offensive scheme that balances running and passing gives Fleming the opportunity to take advantage and track the ball down the field, he said.
“It starts up front with our offensive line and their protection and everything that they do, and then as well as having a consistent running game and getting those 4- to 5-yard gains every first down,” Fleming said. “That kind of just opens up to downfield.”
Third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud has built a better bond with Fleming this year connecting with him deep down the field. Stroud said he felt Fleming worked hard during the offseason, especially in the weight room which helped him become more lean and agile.
“You can tell he can run any route that we ask him to. If it’s a corner, it’s a curl, it’s a slant, if it’s anything, he can really run it,” Stroud said. “I’m super happy for him, and I think he’s going to keep being great.”
In 2021, Fleming caught 12 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown across eight games. He specialized in short plays on offense last season but is now getting more involved down the field, which is something he said he really enjoys.
The process has been long for Fleming, but he’s starting to make strides he envisioned for himself when he arrived at Ohio State.
“I love deep routes, and it’s just something I’ve always felt like I excelled at more than shorter space stuff,” Fleming said. “I feel like my game is coming along as a whole, and everything’s kind of falling into place.”
