Nittany Lion Football Welcomes Six Transfers from FBS Schools
UNIVERSITY PARK– Penn State football announced the addition of six FBS transfers to its program on Thursday night. Joining the program from FBS institutions are wide receiver Julian Fleming (Ohio State), defensive back A.J. Harris (Georgia), defensive back Jalen Kimber (Florida), defensive lineman Jordan Mayer (Wisconsin), kicker Chase Meyer (Tulsa) and offensive lineman Nolan Rucci (Wisconsin).
JULIAN FLEMING
Wide Receiver/Senior/6-2, 210
Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia/Ohio State
2020-23 • OHIO STATE
Season: 2023: Appeared in 12 games, making 11 starts…Posted 26 receptions for 270 yards, with a long reception of 37 yards. 2022: Played in 11 games, making nine starts…Made 34 catches for 533 yards and six touchdowns…Averaged 15.7 yards per reception and had a long grab of 79 yards…Caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive games (Toledo, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Michigan State and Iowa). 2021: Saw action in eight contests, making one start…Had 12 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. 2020: Appeared in seven games with one start…Made eight catches for 101 yards.
Rankings: 2023: Ranked third in the Big Ten in yards per reception (15.7) and tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns (6).
2023: at Indiana (9/2): Posted six receptions for 58 yards, including a long reception of 27 yards. Youngstown State (9/9): Logged three catches for 25 yards. Western Kentucky (9/16): Had two catches for 17 yards. at Notre Dame (9/23): Had eight receiving yards. Maryland (10/7): Posted 45 receiving yards, including a 37-yard grab. at Purdue (10/14): Made a 9-yard reception. Penn State (10/21): Tallied a 9-yard catch. at Wisconsin (10/28): Logged two receptions for 19 yards. Michigan State (11/11): Had two grabs for 12 yards. Minnesota (11/18): Tallied 10 receiving yards on two catches. at Michigan (11/25): Posted 58 yards on three receptions, including a long grab of 28 yards.
2022: Toledo (9/17): Made three receptions for 23 yards and two touchdowns. Wisconsin (9/24): Tallied 67 yards on four receptions and a touchdown. Rutgers (10/1): Caught four passes for 51 yards and a score. at Michigan State (10/8): Tallied four receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown…Had a long reception of 51 yards. Iowa (10/22): Logged 105 yards on two catches, including a 79-yard touchdown. at Penn State (10/29): Had two receptions for 27 yards. at Northwestern (11/5): Posted a 7-yard grab. Indiana (11/12): Made two catches for 24 yards. at Maryland (11/19): Tallied two receptions for 30 yards. Michigan (11/26): Recorded five grabs for 47 yards. vs. Georgia (12/31): Had five receptions for 71 yards.
2021: Oregon (9/11): Made a 10-yard reception. Tulsa (9/18): Tallied a 7-yard catch. at Nebraska (11/6): Posted two grabs for 22 yards, including a long catch of 17 yards. Purdue (11/13): Made a 4-yard reception. Michigan State (11/20): Caught two passes for eight yards and a 4-yard touchdown. vs. Utah (1/1): Made five receptions for 35 yards in the Rose Bowl.
2020: Nebraska (10/24): Recorded a 13-yard reception. Rutgers (11/7): Made a 27-yard grab. at Michigan State (12/5): Hauled in two passes for 8 yards. vs. Northwestern (12/19): Posted four grabs for 53 yards in the Big Ten Championship game.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played for head coach Jim Roth at Southern Columbia High School…Was PennLive’s Pennsylvania Player of the Year and Gatorade’s Pennsylvania Player of the Year in 2019…Named a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in 2019…Participated in the ESPN Under Armour All-American Game…Named Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year and Class AA State Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania Football Writers in 2018…Finished his high school career as the state’s career leader in touchdown receptions (77) and receiving yards (5,514)…Posted 255 career receptions…Made 72 receptions for 1,582 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior, where Southern Columbia won its 10th PIAA state championship…Logged 78 receptions for 1,524 yards and 22 scores in 2018…Also returned three interceptions for touchdowns and had a punt return for a touchdown at Southern Columbia…Rated the nation’s top overall player as a high school senior in 2018 by ESPN.com…Tabbed the No. 2 overall player by 247Sports…Also lettered in basketball and track and field…Won the Class AA 100-meter dash at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.
PERSONAL
Is the son of Betsy Fleming…Has a younger sister, Quinci…Earned his degree in human development and family studies from Ohio State in December 2023.
A.J. HARRIS
Defensive Back/Sophomore/6-1, 190
Phenix City, Ala./Central/Georgia
2023 • GEORGIA
Season: Appeared in seven games…Made eight tackles (3 solo).
UT Martin (9/2): Made two tackles. Ball State (9/9): Posted four tackles. vs. Florida (10/28): Tallied two stops.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played for head coach Patrick Nix at Central High School…As a senior, led the Red Devils to a 10-3 record and AHSAA Class 7A semifinals…Squad posted a 13-1 record and AHSAA Class 7A state championship during his junior campaign…Was selected to play in the All-American Bowl…Posted 52 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, forced two fumbles, and recovered one fumble during his senior season… Tallied 31 tackles, three pass breakups and forced two fumbles, while rushing for 172 yards and five touchdowns on 13 carries as junior…Also caught two touchdowns and returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns during his time at Central…Rated a five-star prospect by 247 and was ranked as the No. 32 prospect nationally, No. 3 cornerback prospect, and No. 3 prospect in Alabama…Tabbed an ESPN.com four-star prospect, No. 33 prospect nationally, No. 4 cornerback prospect, and No. 6 prospect in Alabama…Was a Rivals four-star prospect, No. 31 prospect nationally, No. 4 cornerback prospect, and No. 1 prospect in Alabama.
PERSONAL
Full name is Aaron-Joshua Titus Harris.
JALEN KIMBER
Defensive Back/Redshirt Senior/6-0, 185
Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield Timberview/Florida
2022-23 • FLORIDA
Awards: 2022: Named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Season: 2023: Appeared in all 12 games, making 11 starts…Posted 23 tackles (18 solo) to go along with five pass breakups (2nd on the team), a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. 2022: Saw action in all 13 games…Recorded 13 tackles, an interception and one pass breakup.
2023: at Utah (8/31): Assisted on a tackle. Tennessee (9/16): Posted a pass breakup and added a solo tackle. Charlotte (9/23): Recorded one tackle. at Kentucky (9/30): Made two solo stops. Vanderbilt (10/7): Recovered a fumble and returned it four yards…Posted two pass breakups and added a pair of solo tackles. at South Carolina (10/14): Made four solo tackles. vs. Georgia (10/28): Recorded two solo tackles. at LSU (11/11): Made five tackles (4 solo) and broke up a pass. at Missouri (11/18): Made three tackles to go along with a pass breakup and quarterback hurry. Florida State (11/25): Recorded two solo stops.
2022: Utah (9/3): Made two tackles. South Florida (9/17): Picked off a pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown…Posted three tackles and added a pass breakup. Missouri (10/8): Recorded two solo tackles. vs. Georgia (10/29): Made two stops. at Texas A&M (11/5): Had two solo tackles. South Carolina (11/12): Posted two tackles.
2020-21 • GEORGIA
Awards: 2022: Named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Season: 2021: Appeared in two games and recorded a solo tackle…Missed the rest of the season due to injury. 2020: Played in one contest, posting a solo tackle.
2021: UAB (9/11): Recorded a solo tackle.
2020: Tennessee (10/10): Posted a solo tackle.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played for head coach James Brown at Timberview High School…Helped lead the Wolves to the regional finals of the UIL Conference 5A Division I playoffs, with wins over The Colony and Magnolia West in 2018…Timberview posted a 5-2 district record in 2019…Played in the 2020 All-American Bowl…Earned all-district honors as defense as a senior…Selected to represent Team Savage at The Opening 2019 Finals, where he finished third in the Football Rating Championship with a combine score of 140.01, headlined by a 4.44 time in the 40-yard dash as well as a 4.02 agility shuttle, 42-foot power ball toss and 42-inch vertical leap…Posted 18 tackles and two passes defended during his senior season…As a junior, racked up 34 tackles (26 solo), three interceptions and six passes defended…Rated a four-star prospect by 247 sports composite…Tabbed the No. 8 cornerback nationally, the No. 17 prospect in Texas and the No. 104 overall prospect nationally by 247…Ranked the No. 7 cornerback, No. 15 player in Texas and No. 209 prospect nationally by ESPN.
CHASE MEYER
Kicker/Junior/5-9, 175
Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei/Tulsa
2023 • TULSA
Awards: Earned third-team All-AAC honors.
Season: Was the team’s starting kicker in all 12 games…Converted 17-of-20 field goal attempts and 30-of-31 PATs…Made his first 10 kicks of the year with the first miss not coming until the ninth game.
2022 • PENN
Season: Saw action in eight games mainly taking kickoffs … Totaled 36 kicks for 1,881 yards and one touchback … Averaged 52.3 yards per attempt..
HIGH SCHOOL
Played prep football at Mater Dei in California…Was a two-time all-league MVP kicker …Earned two-time all-county and first-team all-state honors.
PERSONAL
Brother Chris played college soccer at Marquette and sister Sasha played soccer at Notre Dame …Father, Peter played soccer and football at Yale.
JORDAN MAYER
Defensive Line/Redshirt Freshman/6-4, 230
Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson/Wisconsin
2023 • WISCONSIN
Season: Redshirt season.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a first-team all-conference honoree his junior and senior season…Named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 team his senior season…Posted 41 tackles and five sacks during his senior season, while also adding 20 receptions for 252 yards on offense…Rated a consensus three-star recruit by Rivals, 247 Sports and ESPN…
NOLAN RUCCI
Offensive Line/Redshirt Junior/6-8, 300
Lititz, Pa./Warwick/Wisconsin
2021-23 • WISCONSIN
Season: 2023: Saw action in three games as a reserve. 2022: Appeared in three games in reserve action. 2021: Redshirt season.
2023: at Illinois (10/21): Posted a 3-yard touchdown reception as a tackle eligible receiver.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played for head coach Bob Locker at Warwick High School…Earned an invitation to the 2021 All-American Bowl…Was a two-time all-state selection his junior and senior season…Named to the 2020 USA Today All-USA preseason first team…Rated a five-star recruit by 247 and Rivals and a four-star prospect by ESPN.
PERSONAL
Is the son of Todd and Stacy Rucci…Brother, Hayden, played tight end for Wisconsin…Both parents attended Penn State…Father, Todd, played for the Nittany Lions and was a second-round NFL Draft pick who went on to play eight seasons for the New England Patriots…Mother, Stacy, played field hockey at Penn State…Grandfather, Thomas Gilburg, played football and lacrosse at Syracuse and went on to play four seasons with the Baltimore Colts.
