Penn State football has had the luxury of having one of the top prospects in the 2026 class for several months. However, that luxury comes with pressure as other programs continue to knock on the door and draw this player’s interest away from Penn State. Now, Messiah Mickens, the long-time Nittany Lion commit in the 2026 recruiting class, has picked up another new scholarship offer; this time, it was from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame offers top five-star Penn State football commit
It’s never too early to start the recruiting process for the 2026 recruiting class. The Penn State football team got to work in the middle of August after 2026 recruiting class five-star prospect Messiah Mickens decided to make his pledge to the Nittany Lions. Mickens has not wavered in his commitment even after additional programs have offered him scholarships. Now, Mickens has shared that he has picked up another new scholarship offer, this time from Notre Dame.
This makes the second scholarship offer Mickens has secured in the past week after Wisconsin extended an offer on March 14. While it was great for the Nittany Lions to earn the initial commitment from Mickens, that does not mean they won’t have to work twice as hard to show him how important it is to stay home in PA. Mickens is currently ranked the No. 1 player in PA and looks to carry that ranking until his signing day.
Messiah Mickens and Saquon Barkley connect
From one Nittany Lion legend to another: over the weekend Messiah Mickens returned to Penn State for an unofficial visit. While other schools continue to offer and try to pull him away from the Nittany Lions, Mickens makes it clear where home is.
Now, the Camp Hill, PA native had the chance to connect with the newest member of the Philadephia Eagles and Penn State legend Saquon Barkley.
The best in PA stay in PA, and Barkley can share what his experience was while walking in the shoes that Messiah Mickens may walk in very soon.
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