James Franklin leading the charge to poach 4-star RB from Penn State

Four-star running back Messiah Mickens from the Class of 2026 is the next former Penn State football commit to part ways with the program. Following Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin's departure from Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) had yet another enemy in recruitment.

According to PennLive, Mickens is announcing his commitment on Dec. 3 during the early signing period. He initially decided on Penn State back in Aug. 2023, but de-committed once Franklin was fired.

Mickens certainly isn't the only one to de-commit, and he's not the sole recruit interested in following Franklin either.

Rivals' Steve Wiltfong logged an expert prediction on where Mickens will end up next. To no surprise, the Hokies appear to be his future team. Between Wiltfong, Chad Simmons, and Adam Gorney, they have a 60 percent confidence level in the high school senior's path.

Four-star running back Messiah Mickens predicted to follow James Franklin to Virginia Tech

Mickens is the 209th overall recruit from his class, No. 14 running back, and No. 8 Pennsylvania athlete, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Given Penn State's location, recruiting student-athletes from the South is much more difficult, but picking up commitments from Pennsylvania natives is more of the Nittany Lions' forte.

The Harrisburg native, however, is more set on Franklin than he is staying closer to home. Helping Franklin's case as well in recruitment is that his new program is not that much farther from Pennsylvania compared to other places in the country.

Aside from Mickens, the biggest names that are on flip watch, specifically flipping to the Hokies are four-star safety Matt Sieg, four-star tight end Pierce Petersohn, three-star offensive tackle Marlen Bright, three-star interior offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka, and three-star linebacker Mathieu Lamah.

Petersohn was recently projected to flip to Virginia Tech with a 100 percent chance, according to 247Sports' Crystal Ball® Predictions, to do so. Also to Penn State's misfortune, four-star quarterback Troy Huhn is another name predicted to follow Franklin.

The Nittany Lions' Class of 2026 rankings continue dropping. As of Monday, they have the 81st overall rank and 82nd composite rank, according to 247Sports. With some names, like Sieg, Petersohn, Eziuka, Bright, and Lamah, still technically listed in the class, the 10-player group is more than likely to dwindle down as days pass by.