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Commitment analysis: No. 1 WR Julian Fleming to Ohio State

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

Julian Fleming
Julian Fleming (Rivals.com)

MORE: Fleming will become a Buckeye | BuckeyeGrove.com | Rivals.com's 2020 WR rankings | Ohio State commitment list

Four years ago, the odds of somebody not from Pennsylvania knowing where or what Catawissa is would have been pretty slim. The spotlight quickly turned to this small town of about 1,500 people, focusing its penetrating gaze on the roughly one square mile town that sits somewhere between Harrisburg and Scranton, because of coveted receiver Julian Fleming.

The five-star receiver is one of the best all-around athletes in the 2020 recruiting class. Everything Fleming has done on the field has made Southern Columbia High School a popular stop for college football coaches. So popular, in fact, that Fleming’s offer sheet features powerhouse programs from coast to coast.

Sophomore year is when Fleming’s recruitment really started to pick up, and Penn State was one of his earliest offers. The Nittany Lions instantly became the favorite to land his commitment and many people thought his recruitment would follow a similar path to that of former five-star and current Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Throughout his recruitment, Fleming and his family have been hosted by Penn State more than any other school and they could not be more familiar with the campus, coaching staff, and environment.

Still, many other teams pursued Fleming and were able to get him on campus. Ohio State was always the biggest threat to Penn State, but it lost some momentum after Urban Meyer left the team. Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson emerged as other schools of interest for Fleming and he took visits to all three, including an official visit to Alabama back in April.

Thanks to the tireless recruiting efforts of Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, the Buckeyes regained their momentum. Their place at the top of Fleming’s recruitment was solidified by the outstanding job Ryan Day did and continues to do since taking over for Meyer.

While Fleming initially intended to wait until August or September to announce a commitment, he ultimately decided not to hold off and announced his commitment to Ohio State on Friday.

WHY IT'S BIG FOR OHIO STATE

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