One word. Future.

Class of 2026 four-star running back Messiah Mickens committed to Penn State football, he announced Saturday via Twitter. Mickens becomes the first commit of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2026.

Mickens, who hails from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, is ranked as an athlete by 247Sports, which has yet to give him a composite rating. He is the top-ranked player in Pennsylvania in his class, the third-ranked athlete in the country, and slotted as the No. 30 player in the nation.

Standing at 5’10” and 195 pounds, Mickens plays his high school football at Trinity High School. Mickens rushed for 961 yards with 123 carries over the course of 13 games in his freshman year, per MaxPreps. He also recorded 18 rushing touchdowns and 200 receiving yards.

To see what Mickens has done so far in his short high school career, check out his Hudl highlight reel.

About the Author

Joe Lister

Joe, shockingly, was Onward State's managing editor from 2024-25. It was an honor. He's off employed doing journalism things, hopefully. If you want to complain about anything he's ever written, you can find him on Twitter (iamjoelister), email ([email protected]), or Signal (iamjoelister.93).

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