The Notre Dame football team hasn’t been able to snag a star running back from Penn State … yet. But the Irish are not giving up just yet. Such is the way that recruiting goes these days. A commitment only lasts as long as it takes the next school to convince players to flip.
It seems that Marcus Freeman believes he still has a trump card up his sleeve regarding 4-star Pennsylvania back Messiah Mickens. He and Notre Dame running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider still have a good enough relationship that when the former Nittany Lions coach paid Mickens a visit this weekend, the player was quick to show it on social media.
Notre Dame continues to push for Penn State commit Messiah Mickens
Mickens posted on X that Seider had paid him a visit with a photo of the two standing side by side and smiling in Mickens’ house. The running back added the caption “appreciate my guy stopping by today!!” And it’s clear that the Notre Dame football coach is still trying to convince his one-time commit that there’s still time to see the light.
Seider is already considered one of the best running back coaches in the sport. That he might be able to pull in some of the best prospects in is a very big added bonus.
Recruiting in this era is a marathon, not a sprint. Even with Notre Dame losing the first heat and Mickens staying committed to Penn State earlier this spring, it’s more important where he’s committed to when December rolls around.
The Notre Dame football team continues to make it clears they want Mickens in South Bend. It’s possible eventually he’ll see the error of his ways and pull the trigger for the Fighting Irish. Until then, it’s clear that Seider, Freeman and the rest of the coaching staff aren’t calling it quits.