PA’s No. 1 recruit for 2026 says Penn State football ‘built’ for best players in the state

Despite a bump in the road this week in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Penn State football is still all in on its “best in Pennsylvania, stay in Pennsylvania” mantra. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have hit the transfer portal this offseason to load up on the best the commonwealth has had to offer from recent cycles. Things are still looking bright for the years to come, as well. Recently, Messiah Mickens, the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania for the 2026 recruiting cycle, reaffirmed his commitment to Penn State with some strong praise for Franklin and the Nittany Lions program.

2026 Recruiting: Messiah Mickens says Penn State football is “built” for best players in Pennsylvania

There are few players in the upcoming recruiting cycles for Penn State football that are more exciting than Messiah Mickens. The Trinity High School prospect started his sophomore campaign with a bang, scoring seven touchdowns in his first two games and averaging an eye-popping 14 yards per carry in the first month of the season. Even after battling injuries, Mickens finished 2023 with 961 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

Mickens is already one of the top prospects in the country for the 2026 recruiting cycle. The On3 Industry Rankings currently rate him as the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania, the No. 2 running back, and the No. 25 overall player in the class.

Committing to Penn State football in August, there’s still a long way to go before Messiah Mickens is officially a Nittany Lion. But even as he added offers from other top programs like USC this year, the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania is still all in on Penn State.

Speaking with Chad Simmons of On3 last week, Mickens expressed that, in his view, the top players from Pennsylvania should look no further than Penn State football.

“There’s nothing like Happy Valley,” he said. “The fans, the way they interact with you. It’s a great hometown thing for me, being a kid in-state. I feel like that school is built for us. So, why not play for it?”

2026 RB @Messiah_1M is committed to #PennState and he already feels like part of the family in Happy Valley. https://t.co/EUSvMWnhfu pic.twitter.com/ClRUFsvRrN

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) January 8, 2024

The No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania went on to credit James Franklin and the Penn State football coaching staff as the reason why he continues to stay locked in on the Nittany Lions.

“The standard there,” Mickens explained. “Just because they lose a game or something happens, the bond doesn’t break. Everyone stays locked in. [I’ve had] great communication with the coaching staff, how they communicate with me. As soon as [new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki] got hired, they called me first just to let me know what was going on. Things like that.”

In-state recruiting is a keystone for James Franklin

The comments from Messiah Mickens echo sentiments from James Franklin when asked about the importance of recruiting Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic during National Signing Day in December.

“I’m a big believer for a lot of different reasons, not just Penn State’s but for the young men,” the Penn State football coach said. “That’s a win-win for everybody. The best players in Pennsylvania need to stay in Pennsylvania, and they need to come to Penn State.

“I also believe the best players in the region should come to Penn State. I’m biased, but I think we’re the best option in terms of a combination of school and football and being able to compete at the very highest level. We are the best option within the footprint, and that’s no disrespect to any other program. But I believe that, and I feel that way.”

This guiding principle hasn’t been without its bumps, however. The Nittany Lions recently missed out on Zahir Mathis, the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania for the class of 2025. Committing to Ohio State this week, Penn State football wasn’t even in Mathis’s top five programs.

But, Franklin and the Nittany Lions have made up for recruiting misses among the state’s top players from previous cycles this offseason. Penn State recently landed Julian Fleming and Nolan Rucci from the transfer portal. Both were the commonwealth’s top prospects in their respective cycles. When Penn State takes the field this fall, the Nittany Lions will have the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania from the 2020 through 2024 cycles on the roster.

While there’s a long way to go before the 2026 recruiting class officially signs, it doesn’t look like Messiah Mickens is going anywhere. Given his comments, the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania appears poised to become a leader in the class for the Nittany Lions moving forward.

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