Julian Fleming shouldering setbacks, growing on, off football field

COLUMBUS —There has always been a lot of weight on the shoulders of Julian Fleming.

Fleming was the No. 1-ranked prospect in the country when he signed with Ohio State in December of 2019. He joined the Buckeyes with ridiculously high expectations that were based more on his athletic profile than his technical abilities as a wide receiver. The offense he set records for at Southern Columbia (Catawissa, Penn.) High School allowed him to use that athletic ability in the passing game but it wasn't designed to refine his talents as a pass catcher.

His freshman year at Ohio State was almost canceled, but it wasn't. He, like every other member of the Class of 2020, was thrown into a quasi-tailspin, personally and athletically. The development Fleming needed was slowed more than most of his classmates because he was dealing with a shoulder injury that had plagued him in high school.

Last year, the shoulder popped up again. This time in the Rose Bowl. For most, it's a game that really introduced Marvin Harrison and Emeka Egbuka to the national scene. Internally, it was a game that gave Julian Fleming a chance to make a decision.

Ohio State was scratching and clawing its way to a comeback victory. Julian Fleming was proving his toughness, popping back into place a shoulder that popped out of it and quickly re-entering the game. Fleming could've stayed on the sideline after that injury. He didn't.

And since then he's left no doubt that he's all in for himself, his teammates and his development at Ohio State.

There's a visible difference in Julian Fleming. He carries himself lighter than he did a year ago. He won't divulge what changed but he acknowledges a change was needed.

"It's been a lot different for me," Julian Fleming said Wednesday night. "I just felt like it was time to really grow and start taking things a lot more seriously. It was definitely a process. It took a little bit of time.

"But now I feel like I'm really locked in and committed to Ohio State football ... I really came into this season with a really, really different mindset. Especially in the offseason. I just came in to work day in and day out, striving to keep my body and my mind right at all times."

Whatever the cause, the results are clear. Fleming was one of seven "Iron Buckeyes" this offseason, an honor bestowed on Ohio State players by Mick Marotti, the Buckeyes Assistant Athletic Director for Football Sports Performance. It's a rare achievement in Columbus.

“Mick has his champions,” Ryan Day said in early August. "It's the gold standard ... Guys who have had great summers. Didn't miss anything, weren't late, those types of things. And then Iron Buckeye is just a little bit further in each (group), skill, big skill and then on the line, recognizes having the most outstanding summers.”

Last weekend, at Ohio State's second fall scrimmage, Julian Fleming's shoulder popped into the conversation again. Day, speaking at an NIL event in Columbus, shared that the shoulder popped out of socket -- again -- only to be fixed immediately. Fleming then went on to score two touchdowns in the scrimmage. No excuses, no thoughts of taking the day off.

Brian Hartline sees the changes in Fleming too.

"His growth off the field has paralleled his growth on the field," Hartline said. "That's critical. Taking care of your body, to rest, to mental development of the game. There's so much involved. I just love the growth he's had.

"It's been awesome."

There's no time like now for Fleming to make his impact at Ohio State. He's had the ups and downs and he's been able to keep himself focused on the right things.

"Sometimes you've got to roll with the punches," Fleming said. "I've just got to look up from there."

Expectations are a blessing and a curse. Few people on the Ohio State roster know that more than Julian Fleming. That weight is still on his shoulders, but he's more prepared than ever to handle it.