On Saturday evening, Penn State football picked up a surprise commitment when running back<a href="https://www.on3.com/db/messiah-mickens-154826/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Messiah Mickens</a> committed to the program. Mickens has been a strong candidate to join the Nittany Lions through his recruiting process, but the surprising part is that he’s a 2026 prospect. The BWI Live: Recruiting show discusses his commitment to the program and what is means. 



With so much time between his commitment and signing day, how should fans feel about this news? Sean Fitz and Ryan Snyder discuss what they know about the situation and how this likely plays out for Penn State. 



Check out the video and be sure to see the full recruiting show, which airs Mondays at 10 am on YouTube. You can always catch the replay 24/7, but Fitz and Snyder answer fan questions during the show’s live chat. The best way to get reminders is to <a href="https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube </a>Channel and enable notifications. 



<h2 id="h-hometown-connections-win-out-for-penn-state">Hometown connections win out for Penn State</h2>



Despite his youth, Mickens earned over 20 scholarship offers from national programs before heading into his junior season. Penn State won Micken’s services over the likes of Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Michigan to name a few. While he doesn’t have an official rating from On3, who hasn’t made a preliminary list for 2026, he is a four-star athlete by both On3 and 247 Sports. He’s an early leader to be a highly-ranked member of his class. 



For Mickens, <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/penn-state-picks-up-commitment-2026-running-back-messiah-mickens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">who spoke to Snyder about his commitment,</a> it was a complete-package decision, 



“How they treat me and family when we come up,” Mickens said when asked why he wanted to commit to Penn State. “Also, my position coach, I love what he does with his running backs and how he uses them. Also, just being in my hometown, my family can make most of all the games and play for your state when it’s big-time football. Just feels like home every time I go, and I’ve been around a lot of colleges. My heart is just in State College.”



Snyder also spoke with Micken’s coach, former Penn State defensive tackle Jordan Hill. He and Michael Mauti are coaches at Trinity Catholic in Harrisburg. Snyder discussed how the Penn State connections between Hill, Mauti, and Penn State led to the decision on the show. Check out the video to learn more. 



Finally, given his age and future development, the group puts Micken’s rankings and hype into perspective.

Messiah Mickens Penn State Football On3

BWI Recruiting

Commit Breakdown: Penn State lands Messiah Mickens

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