‘It was a 50/50 shot.’ Why Julian Fleming chose transferring to Penn State over NFL Draft

There can be plenty of perks to playing close to home, things Julian Fleming surely considered when coming out of Southern Columbia Area High School as part of the 2020 recruiting class. While those were not enough to lure him to Penn State back then, he’ll get the benefits of them now that he’s joined the Nittany Lions after beginning his college career at Ohio State.

Some of them are already taking shape, including seeing his family more.

“It’s great for everybody,” Fleming said Tuesday evening. “They get to come to practices. I get to go home more often. ... I get to see my little sister, I get to go to her games. I get to see my mom, my grandfather and my grandparents as they’re getting a little bit older. Just being able to be around my family and have that family aspect here as well, it’s great.”

His move back to Pennsylvania will give him more time with family and with any luck will position him for what comes next in his football career.

That next step almost took place this year, but Fleming ultimately decided that a transfer was his best option.

“It was a 50/50 shot between going and between transferring,” Fleming said. “And I just felt like I still needed one more. I needed one more year to really prove to myself who I am and prove to other people who I am. So that’s why I was really excited to come here.”

Instead of trying to hear his name called later this month, Fleming will spend the next year trying to boost his stock with the help of junior quarterback Drew Allar. Allar is coming off his first season as a starter, where he showed signs of being the elite signal caller that many envisioned coming out of high school.

He took care of the ball and made impressive throws, but at times didn’t get enough help at wide receiver. That could change with Fleming in the fold and the newest Nittany Lion receiver said the two have already begun working on their relationship.

“I get to talk to Drew every single day,” Fleming said. “We have a good relationship. ... It’s definitely just constantly building and building and it’s gonna continue to grow.”

Rebuilt cornerback room

Fleming was the most high-profile addition to the roster because of his position and status as a recruit out of high school, but cornerbacks A.J. Harris and Jalen Kimber could prove to be just as — if not more — valuable. Harris and Kimber are entering a cornerback room that is losing its three starters and most veteran players.

While Harris was a five-star recruit not long ago in the 2023 recruiting class, it’s Kimber who could make the biggest impact on the 2024 team. The veteran corner has played at both Georgia and Florida and brings a wealth of experience to the young room as a fifth-year player.

That’s already led to him becoming one of its leaders.

“I just like to pull guys to the side if I see something,” Kimber said. “And I just like to tell them ‘X, Y, Z would be able to help’ or ‘if you see this, this will be able to help.’ Things like that. Because I’ve seen a lot of football. This is my fifth year so I really try to help as much as I can.”

Kimber has been playing primarily on the outside this spring for Penn State and should have an opportunity to start for the Nittany Lions this fall. If all goes well, this could be his only year at Penn State. He even alluded to that in his commitment post when he called this his final year despite having two years of eligibility remaining.

That being said, he’s prepared to make whatever decision is best for him.

“If I gotta come back, I gotta come back,” Kimber said. “Nothing is set in stone. ... Really I just want to go out there and show people that I can play football. I’m just really ready to go and prove people wrong, honestly. That’s just that simple.”

The two new transfer corners will draw the attention, but Kimber said there’s also one from last year’s transfer portal class that is turning heads, too. Audavion Collins, who transferred in from Mississippi State prior to the 2023 season, was mentioned previously by Franklin this spring and has caught Kimber’s attention.

“AC has really stood out to me,” Kimber said. “... AC is very intentional in what he does. He’s aggressive. He’s a dog, honestly. He’s gonna fight to the finish. ... AC plays with a lot of passion and I’m really looking forward to see what he’s going to do, too.”

Quick hitters

• Head coach James Franklin said he’s seen more flashes from WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith this spring and that they’ve been happening on a more consistent basis.

• OT Nolan Rucci, who transferred in from Wisconsin this semester, said he’s up to 315 pounds from the 300 pounds he weighed at his arrival.

• Kimber also mentioned Harris and Cam Miller standing out, but added that everyone is standing out in their own unique way. He noted that he’s constantly taking things from other corners and learning from them.