COLUMBUS Julian Fleming showed up at Ohio State last offseason with high expectations.
Justifiably so. But maybe those expectations were too high for the former No. 1 receiver prospect in the country. Fleming had a first offseason littered with challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a canceled spring period and rare in-person meetings. That didn’t help in his first offseason with the program. Enrolling early didn’t help him.
He also struggled with a nagging shoulder injury that caused him trouble throughout his freshman campaign. But now fresh off shoulder surgery, a complete offseason regimen and with the weight of being a five-star freshman off his back, Fleming can focus on playing football.
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Morning Juice July 30, 2021
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Starting interior offensive line for Minnesota?
First he was a breakout performer in spring practice.
Then Josh Fryar was a fixture at seemingly every summer event teaching the finer points of offensive line play to young campers.
The next step for the redshirt freshman is carrying that momentum into training camp. And by the time September rolls around, maybe any shock will have worn off and seeing Fryar in the starting lineup might just be the expectation for the versatile big man.
There is a lot of work to do, of course. And there might not be any competition more heated than the one Ohio State has for what would appear to be the final open spot on an offensive line that could develop into the best in the nation.