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Former Penn State commit Messiah Mickens sticks with James Franklin, will play at Virginia Tech

Mug-Shot 4x4by: Ryan Snyder4 hours agoRyanSnyderOn3

Running back Messiah Mickens informed Rivals last week that he no longer plans to sign with Penn State. Now, we know where he’s headed.

Following an official visit to Virginia Tech this past weekend, the Harrisburg, Pa., native has now announced Tuesday evening that he’ll be joining James Franklin in Blacksburg.

“I was blessed to be committed to Penn State since [my] sophomore year, but God has a plan for me,” Mickens told Rivals. Following his visit to Tech, he told Rivals analyst Steve Wiltfong that it was “a good experience,” adding, “I’m happy I made the decision to go and see my guys and Coach Franklin.”

A four-star prospect, Mickens was the first player to join the Penn State Class of 2026, announcing his commitment way back in August 2023. At the time, he played at Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Pa., which was coached by Penn State letterman Jordan Hill.

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When Hill joined Franklin’s staff in State College back in June 2024, Mickens transferred to Harrisburg High School ahead of his junior season. He went on to be named Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024, totaling 1,400 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns on offense. His defensive stats were arguably even better, as Mickens finished with 81 tackles, including 39 tackles for loss. He also had 21 quarterback hurries, 16.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Following Ja’Juan Seider’s move to Notre Dame, Mickens flirted with potentially visiting South Bend but held firm with his commitment. However, after the coaching change, he heard from multiple schools, most notably Oklahoma. The Sooners were believed to be the team he was trending towards, but that belief started to shift in recent days when it became clear that running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. was close to flipping from Texas A&M to Oklahoma. That decision officially took place yesterday, Monday, Nov. 24.

Mickens, who’s ranked No. 228 nationally in the Industry Rankings, is the first former commit to join Franklin at Virginia Tech. He’s the 17th-ranked running back and ninth overall in Pennsylvania for the class.