We said last weekend would be a big one for the future of Virginia Tech football. While the 2025 Hokies were finishing out a disappointing season on the field in a 34-17 loss to Miami, new head coach James
Franklin was working on building for 2026 and beyond.
On Wednesday, the first domino fell when four-star running back Messiah Mickens committed to the Hokies. Mickens will now forever be known as the first commitment of the James Franklin era at Virginia Tech.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Mickens is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he plays at Harrisburg High School. Mickens had been committed to Penn State since August 2023, but reopened his recruitment once the Nittany Lions fired Franklin last month. Mickens chose the Hokies over his other finalists, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Indiana.
Mickens is a consensus four-star prospect, according to 247Sports, which ranks him as the No. 17 running back in the 2026 recruiting class, the No. 9 player in Pennsylvania and the 209th-ranked player nationally.
Here are some highlights from Mickens’ 2024 season.
When you first watch Mickens, you see elite running back traits. He’s fast. He makes explosive cuts and possesses terrific vision. Unlike most high school running backs, Mickens has college-ready size to go with his top-notch athleticism. He can play early for the Hokies once he arrives on campus in 2026. Virginia Tech has promising freshman Jeffrey Overton Jr. back next year and hopes to convince junior Marcellous Hawkins to return.
To land a four-star player from Pennsylvania, especially with one week until signing day, is a massive pull. It’s the James Franklin effect. Franklin will have the Hokies in recruiting battles that fans never believed would be possible. This is one. There will be many, including some in the next week.
Mickens was one of several Penn State commits or decommits who visited Blacksburg on an official visit last weekend. The Hokies are expected to host another big recruiting weekend just before signing day. Mickens is likely the first of several commitments to Virginia Tech over the next week.
Buckle up. It’s going to be fun.
