After spending a little over a month thinking that they had the chance to not only steal the running backs coach, but one of Penn State’s top running back commits this summer, it turns out that the Notre Dame football team is out of luck.
4-star running back prospect Messiah Mickens’ commitment to the Nittany Lions had been wavering. In fact, it seemed as though the Big Ten school had all but lost him when Seider took the RB coach job with the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame football loses ground in battle for 4-star RB Messiah Mickens
BREAKING: 2026 RB commit Messiah Mickens has shut down his recruitment & will no longer be taking OVs to other schools. He's a Nittany Lion. 🦁🤞#WeAre
— Happy Valley United (@HappyValleyUtd) March 29, 2025
He recaps his recent visit to State College with @PSU_Dylan and @HappyValleyUTD. pic.twitter.com/3RPa8kDwHm
Mickens even planned an official visit to see Seider at his new home and to see what South Bend had to offer. He was also planning several other official visits including to North Carolina. However, it turns out that he’s had second thoughts and is now locking down his commitment to Penn State.
The Notre Dame football team was hoping that they could find a way to not only steal the Nittany Lions’ coach but add a little insult to injury. That’s despite the fact that the Irish already have bragging rights thanks to their win in the playoffs.
However, on Pot of Gold Day in South Bend, Marcus Freeman and company made it clear they want another talented running back Nittany Lions’ commit as well. They issued an official offer to Kemon Spell, the No. 1 running back in the 2027 class.
With Messiah Mickens confirming his commitment to Penn State, the Notre Dame football team still has a chance to steal one. Unfortunately it’s not the guy that would have joined this class.