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Notre Dame RB coach Ja'Juan Seider visited Penn State commit on Saturday

Singer headshotby: Mike Singer05/03/25MikeTSinger
Messiah Mickens On3 fp
Notre Dame running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider with Penn State commit Messiah Mickens

At the end of March, Harrisburg (Pa.) High class of 2026 running back Messiah Mickens informed On3’s Blue White Illustrated that he was shutting down his recruitment and sticking with his longtime Penn State commitment. However, Notre Dame is still making a run at him.

When Mickens pledged to the Nittany Lions back in August 2023, his lead recruiter was running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. However, Seider took the same position at Notre Dame earlier this year and targeted Mickens right away.

Mickens was supposed to visit Notre Dame in the spring but cancelled those plans. He was also going to officially visit South Bend this June; could that trip be back on?

On Saturday, Seider had a home visit with Mickens.

“Appreciate my guy stopping by today!” Mickens said in a social media post. A picture of them from the visit can be seen at the top of this article.

At the time of publishing this article, Notre Dame does not have a running back commitment in the 2026 class, but later in the day, the Irish are hoping to get good news from Forney (Texas) High four-star Javian Osborne, who is picking between ND and Michigan.

Mickens ranks as the No. 181 overall player and No. 15 running back in the country according to the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking.

More on Mickens

It’ll be interesting to see if Mickens keeps the door cracked for Seider and Notre Dame to flip him away from the in-state program. Either way, it’s going to be a tough flip for the Irish away from Penn State.

“I committed to that school for a reason, and I never wanted to be that kid who committed to three different schools,” Mickens told Blue White Illustrated’s Ryan Snyder at the end of March. “I committed to that school for the tradition. Me being a kid in this state, it does mean a lot to me to play for my hometown school.”

Though Mickens expressed interest in the Irish as a high school freshman, he fell in love with Penn State during the recruiting process. Mickens committed to the Nittany Lions on Aug. 19, 2023, six days before his sophomore season at Camp Hill (Pa.) Trinity. 

It is atypical for a prospect to commit to a program so early in their recruitment. But his well-established relationship with Seider mattered more than what any other school could offer. So, Mickens pledged to Penn State over offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and Texas A&M. 

“He recruited me since eighth grade,” Mickens previously said. “Many coaches don’t take the time to deal with many kids around the country. So, just him taking time and thinking, just telling me his vision for me, how he’s going to develop me — not only as a football player but as a young man. 

“He allowed me to commit to Penn State at a young age. He’s always stayed in contact. Anytime I needed something, he was there. He’s always been there for me.”

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