Penn State RB commit to explore options following assistant hire

James Franklin is making another widely acclaimed assistant coach hire this offseason, reportedly set to bring in former Temple head coach Stan Drayton to coach the Nittany Lions running backs. Long-time Penn State football commit Messiah Mickens is praising the move, but that isn’t stopping the Harrisburg running back from checking out his options this spring and summer.

“He wants to make me the best back in the country and develop me,” Mickens told Lions247 of his recent conversation with Drayton. Reports of the Nittany Lions’ hire started circulating Thursday evening, with news that the move was a done deal coming Friday morning.

“He wants to make me the best back in the country and develop me.”

Top247 Penn State commit Messiah Mickens expressed excitement over the hiring of Stan Drayton as the Nittany Lions’ new running backs coach.

VIP: https://t.co/iz5stLKA3N pic.twitter.com/fHvnXwdoSa

— Tyler Calvaruso (@tyler_calvaruso) February 14, 2025

Drayton has the resume to support those bold claims. Before taking over the Temple head job in 2022, he was one of the most coveted running back coaches in the country.

His prowess as a recruiter is also well-documented. During his 31-year career, Drayton has sealed the deal with recruits like Cam Newton (Florida), Bijan Robinson (Texas), and Brian Westbrook (Villanova).

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Nevertheless, Messiah Mickens is still planning to look elsewhere. In an interview with On3, Mickens says he’s already planning official visits to several top schools.

“ND, UNC, Mizzou, Tennessee,” Mickens said. “Those are the schools I’m just exploring.”

Penn State 4-star RB commit Messiah Mickens is ‘exploring’ his options after running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider left for Notre Dame, he tells @SWiltfong_👀

“ND, UNC, Mizzou, Tennessee… Those are the schools I’m just exploring.”

Read: https://t.co/0rjMsChI8X pic.twitter.com/epYRcGXyDF

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 14, 2025

Mickens was the first commitment for Penn State football in the 2026 recruiting cycle, pledging to the Nittany Lions in August 2023. He had officially shut down his recruitment in January, but that was before long-time Penn State assistant Ja’Juan Seider took a position with Notre Dame earlier in the week.

A four-star prospect, Mickens is the No. 10 running back and the No. 108 recruit in 2026, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

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