Former Penn State position coach making a push for a 2026 Nittany Lion commit

After leading Penn State to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2024 and to the CFP semifinals, head coach James Franklin did a great job keeping his roster together for another run at a national championship in 2025. However, Franklin’s coaching staff had plenty of turnover and one of the biggest losses was running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. 

Seider left Happy Valley for South Bend, joining Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish knocked the Nittany Lions out of the postseason with a last-second Orange Bowl victory. Seider leaves behind one talented running back duo in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen for another in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but he’s looking to bring some PA talent with him to Indiana. 

2026 four-star running back Messiah Mickens committed to Penn State in August of 2023. Seider was heavily involved in the Harrisburg, PA product’s recruitment, and the connection was strong enough that Mickens is now planning an official visit to Notre Dame this summer. According to 247Sports, the visit is scheduled for June 20. 

2026 four-star Messiah Mickens planning official visit to Notre Dame

Penn State got off to a hot start in 2026 recruiting, but recently lost three-star wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford and has not landed a commitment since January when three-star cornerback Julian Peterson came into the fold. Franklin’s eight-player class currently ranks eighth in the country but would take a massive hit if Mickens flips to Notre Dame. 

However, if Mickens does follow Seider, the silver lining is that Seider left the shelves stocked with talent. Behind Singleton and Allen, Penn State has promising rising redshirt freshmen Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith, along with two 2025 four-stars Tikey Hayes and Jabree Wallace-Coleman. The loss of Mickens would sting for the future, but Penn State has more than enough talent to withstand a recruiting flip in the short term.