Top 100 prospect reaffirms Penn State commitment, ends recruitment

The Nittany Lions’ longest-standing commitment in the 2026 recruiting class is doubling down on his pledge to Penn State football. On Monday, four-star Harrisburg (PA) running back Messiah Mickens shut down his recruitment, announcing his intentions to stay with the Nittany Lions.

“It came down to what school can develop me and get me to the next level,” Mickens told On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

NEWS: Four-Star Penn State RB commit Messiah Mickens (2026) has shut down his recruitment, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 5’10 200 RB has been Committed since August 2023

“It came down to what school can develop me and get me to the next level.”https://t.co/64cGQ98WWB pic.twitter.com/lFW6Lg3LpM

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 27, 2025

Mickens was the first commitment for Penn State football in the 2026 recruiting cycle, picking the Nittany Lions in August 2023. However, Mickens continued to garner interest as his recruitment matured, earning notable offers from USC, Oregon, Georgia, and Notre Dame, among others, since his pledge.

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Most recently, the Harrisburg running back has been pursued by South Carolina. He picked up an offer from the Gamecocks in early November and visited Columbia later that same month.

Currently, Mickens is a top 100 prospect in the 247Sports Composite for 2026, coming in at No. 98. He is the No. 11 running back and No. 3 recruit in Pennsylvania.

Mickens is at the core of what is becoming an elite recruiting class for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Landing its ninth commitment of the cycle on Saturday from Winslow Township (NJ) cornerback Julian Peterson, Penn State football has the No. 3 class in 247Sports’ 2026 rankings.

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