Interview: Phantoms 1,000-Yard Receiver Arex Flemings Preps for Senior Year and Camp Circuit

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Cathedral High School had just about everything rolling their way during the 2015 season posting an 11-2 mark rolling into the third round of the CIF playoffs before falling to La Mirada. Head coach Kevin Pearson was able to work his magic with a solid mix of Class of 2016 and 2017 talents with junior quarterback Andrew Tovar spreading the ball around for over 3,700 yards and 47 touchdowns tosses against just six picks in 367 pass attempts.

The beneficiary of the wide-open passing attack included senior Renard Bell (Washington State) and juniors Jamire Calvin and Arex Flemings. Calvin had 1,000 receiving yards off 53 receptions with 17 touchdowns and Flemings blistered the opposition for 1,104 yards off 58 receptions scoring 13 total touchdowns.

The Phantoms will be loaded again during the 2016 season with Tovar, Calvin, and Flemings returning on offense and defensive end Hunter Echols (UCLA) and defensive back Rhedi Short (UCLA) leading the other side of the ball. All seems right in the world except college coaches have overlooked the production on the field for Flemings.

Flemings’ great stat line in 2015 led to postseason honors, he was named first team All-CIF and first team All-Angelus League and broke a school record with 14 receptions in one game. Flemings’ talents were not kept just to offense but expanded to special teams where he had 219 kick return yards taking two back to the house for scores. Flemings’ grades are there, currently sporting a cumulative 3.0 average making the honor roll in consecutive semesters. The one thing he cannot change is perception and that is the perception of being too short. If Flemings was even two inches taller, perhaps three, chances are he would already have double-digit offers based of his grades, speed, and on the field production. But because he is listed at 5’7”, 155 pounds, he faces a whole other obstacle on the recruiting trail that he cannot control – not being the size of a prototypical wide out.

College teams running a spread or utilizing the slot are missing out. Recruits Flemings’ size have torn it up at the collegiate level with guys like Duke’s Jamison Crowder and West Virginia’s Mario Alford, just to name a few, making their mark with All-Conference kind of performances before going on to the NFL. Guys around Flemings’ size making a name for themselves in the NFL includes T.Y. Hilton (Colts) and Steve Smith (Baltimore Ravens) with the list expanding at the 5’10” mark to include Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers), Golden Tate (Detroit Lions), and Julian Edelman (Patriots).

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Flemings to go over his junior season and his offseason schedule. I wanted to know more about the first team All-CIF performer from the Los Angeles area to gain a better understanding as to how and why his recruitment is still under the radar.

Interview

Arex, you had a tremendous junior season on the field.

“Thank you.”

I must admit, I don’t get overly excited watching different highlight reels but your shiftiness and cutting ability in tight spaces got me going.

“Thanks.”

What are the strengths of your game right now as a wide receiver?

“My strengths are my quickness, the way that I get off the ball and attack routes, my straight away speed, and my football IQ gives me an edge with the way that I play. I’m good at getting open, being tough, and knowing what will happen before it happens.”

You did really well on kickoff returns. What is your mentality when the ball is in the air coming your way on kickoff returns?

“First, when I get the ball I survey the field and look for a spot to hit one whatever side of the field. Every time I get the ball I’m thinking I’m going to score. I pick a side and go, from that point it is all instincts.”

Will your role on offense expand next season or into other phases of the game?

“Actually, I just talked to our offensive coordinator about that not too long ago. Next year they are going to use me more on special teams, not as a punt returner – we have a good one. I think they will use me on jet sweeps and bubble screens. I’m really trying to get a chance to get some carries at running back. I’m not sure about playing defense. We have a new defensive coordinator, maybe-maybe not.”

What are your offseason workout goals?

“I’m going heavy in the weight room, I’m in there every day. I’m putting on more weight. Along with lifting, I’m working on my route running. I’m always trying to get faster, quicker, and more explosive. I’m the quickest that I have been in my whole career right now.”

What is your weight gain goal?

“I’m hoping to get up around 165. I’ve gained 15 pounds putting me up to 155 pounds. That’s my goal.”

Have you been clocked in a 40-yard dash lately?

“I have not been clocked in the 40 in a year and a half. I’m going to Oakland for the Nike Regional in May. I’ll run it then.”

*Arex ran the 40-yard dash at the Oakland camp posting a 4.51 and a 4.5. He also posted a 3.9 shuttle time and a 10 ft broad jump, 122.3 inches to be exact.

What other camps are you going to coming up?

“I’ve been invited to the University of Columbia camp. Other than Oakland, with my 7×7 team I’m going to Arizona, I’ve been invited to their camp, we are going to Utah, and Cal-Poly San Louis Obispo. I could be attending more camps as time goes on.”

Have you taken any unofficial visits?

“I’ve been to USC. A good friend of mine, Kevon Seymour played cornerback for USC (2012-15). I went with him last summer to the campus. We walked around with two of my other cousins and took a tour. One of my cousins played for UCLA, Dietrich Riley (2010-11) but I have not toured UCLA yet.”

Which schools are recruiting you right now?

“As of right now Cal-Poly San Obispo. I just got word from Fresno State the other day that they want to meet in person. My coach has been talking to Boise State for me, I’m getting good looks from them and Eastern Washington. My coach handles a lot of that with recruiting so I really don’t know all the schools that are showing interest in me right now.”

How is your 7×7 team (Rise Up) doing?

“Last year we finished sixth in the nation. As of right now we are No. 1 on the West Coast and we were invited to Junior Olympics in Texas in July to compete.”

You have a pretty stacked team you are going up against in 7×7 practice. Which defensive backs are you competing against regularly in practice?

“We have a lot of talented guys in the secondary on our team. We have Rhedi Short, he’s committed to UCLA, Elijah Blades (Muir High School), he just got an offered from Florida, Elijah Gates, he just got an offer from Notre Dame and he has offers from Oregon, Utah, and UCLA. Those are some of the highly recruited defensive backs we have on the team.”

I bet the practices are tough. I like to know how everything is going in the classroom. Do you have a GPA you don’t mind sharing?

“My most recent GPA was a 3.28. My overall is a 3.0, or close to even. My last two semesters I made the honor roll.”

Have you started thinking about what you want to major in while in college?

“I’m one of those kind of people – for a long time I wanted to major in engineering. This semester I’m taking physics and doing well in that. Physics has given me an intro into that. I’m sticking with engineering but I could change my mind.”

Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet?

“No, not yet. I’m taking the SAT in May. I scored a 1,100 on the PSAT.”

Is there a pro player out there that you watch to learn more about the game?

“Tavon Austin (St. Louis Rams). He’s not much bigger than me. He’s explosive, fast, and quick. He’s special. He’s one of those special players you do not find often. Watching a player from a technical point of view, I watch Brandin Cook (New Orleans Saints). He does everything right. He has a good release and runs good routes.”

Last question. What is your favorite part of playing football?

“That’s a hard question – my favorite thing is the emotion that comes with it. I don’t play football just to play. I’m one of the few high school players that plays the game for the love of the game. My dad instilled that in me. My dad got me to play when I didn’t really want to play but I fell in love with the game. I am a purist. I don’t know what I would do without football. All the emotion the game brings good or bad, I just love it.”

Arex, thanks for your time today. Good luck with your upcoming camps and 7×7 tournaments.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: DMart Photography; No. 2 Arex Flemings scores a touchdown.

Photo credit: Flemings family. No. 2 Arex Flemings pre-game.

Photo credit: Marc Bolanos Photography; Arex dodges a tackler.