Fleming excelled at at Columbia, SC-based HBCU Allen University. He announced his decision on November 20. That came just one day after entering the NCAA transfer portal, signaling just how hot his name had become among recruiters.
This moment was years in the making—and months in the warning.
Allen University coach recognizes ‘power of the dollar’
Back in July, Allen University head coach Cedric Pearl foreshadowed this exact type of scenario. When asked about the impact of Power Four recruiting on Division II HBCU programs like his, Pearl spoke candidly about the delicate balance of development and retention in today’s landscape.
“The number one thing in today’s game is to recruit your own roster,” Pearl told HBCU Gameday at SIAC Media Day. “Roster management is important. You have to make sure that you’re engaged with your current players and not ignore them… It’s kind of a dual recruiting relationship.”
Pearl and his staff implemented intentional systems to maintain strong bonds with their players—holding weekly meetings dedicated not to football, but to academics and life.
“That’s a part of what we’re trying to do to make sure that we can retain as many players as possible,” he said. “But we understand the power of the dollar. The Power of the dollar, for a lot of young men, changes lives, changes family situations. And so anybody that gets an opportunity to go to another university and better themselves and make a little make money at the same time. You know, we’re all for that. That’s just today’s game and where it’s going. So you either get on board or you, you get ran over.”
Texas Tech and others are watching
Fleming’s rise proves that HBCU football talent can and will be noticed—especially as the NCAA transfer portal becomes a fast track to national exposure.
He finished the season with 14.5 sacks (second in Division II) and 18 tackles for loss, earning first-team All-SIAC honors. Just days after the season ended, he was committed to Texas Tech.
SIAC Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman also warned of this growing trend at the same media day, noting the increasing reach of Power Four schools into HBCU ranks.
“We’re not immune. We lost players to Division I programs like Purdue, Duke, North Carolina A&T, Alabama A&M,” Holloman said. “Why are they coming to the SIAC? Because we have a history of great football and great people.”
Fleming’s journey from Allen to Texas Tech isn’t just a feel-good story—it’s the reality for all HBCU programs. Talent is everywhere, and so are opportunities. And in today’s NCAA football economy, retention is as strategic as recruitment.