Former Penn State commit Messiah Mickens, ESPN's No. 13 running back in 2026, announced his pledge to Virginia Tech on Tuesday, landing as the program's first ESPN 300 addition under newly hired coach James Franklin.
Mickens, a 5-foot-10 rusher from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the No. 141 overall recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300. He lands with the Hokies following an official visit with the program on Saturday and now stands as the top-ranked member of Virginia Tech's 2026 class.
Mickens initially committed to Franklin and Penn State in August 2023. He remained as the longest-tenured member of the program's incoming class until he decommitted from the Nittany Lions on Nov. 19, the latest in a string of 2026 prospects to pull their pledges after Franklin's exit from Penn State last month after 12 seasons.
Upon reopening his recruitment, Mickens narrowed his finalists to Indiana, Oklahoma and Ole Miss. However, sources told ESPN that Mickens was among the first 2026 recruits Franklin contacted following his Nov. 17 hiring at Virginia Tech, and Mickens was on campus days later for an official visit during the program's Week 13 loss to Miami.
Mickens arrives as the new cornerstone of a Hokies recruiting class that's expected to grow in the eight days before the early signing period opens on Dec. 3.
Virginia Tech hosted a deep collection of high-profile recruits this past weekend, including former Penn State pledge and top uncommitted quarterback Troy Huhn (No. 198 overall). Four-star safety Matt Sieg (No. 162) and tight end Pierce Petersohn (No. 293) were among the other current and former Nittany Lions commits on hand. Four-star offensive tackle Thomas Wilder (No. 222), who decommitted from the Hokies in September, also visited in Week 13 and is viewed by sources as a priority target for Virginia Tech.
The 3-8 Hokies, under the leadership of interim head coach Philip Montgomery, close the regular season at Virginia on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).