Tennessee’s Josh Heupel working to poach 4-star Penn State RB commit
Will Heupel get things done here?
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel paces the sidelines during the NCAA college football playoff game against Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel paces the sidelines during the NCAA college football playoff game against Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. | Saul Young/News
When it comes to the 2026 class, there are some stellar running backs the Tennessee Vols have high on their board. Last week, Vols fans read about 5-star RB Savion Hiter revealing he has UT in his Top 4 and he’ll be taking an official visit to Knoxville later this year.
He’s not the only elite running back for people to keep a close eye on. Recently, 4-star running back Messiah Mickens, a Penn State pledge, told Steve Wiltfong that he’s rethinking his college decision now that PSU RBs coach Ja’Juan Seider is out of town. The schools he’s now looking into? Well, the list includes Tennessee:
Tennessee is working to poach 4-star Penn State RB commit Messiah Mickens
Mickens built a strong relationship with Seider, which is a big reason why he’s having a bit of a change of heart. Mickens is still Penn State-bound, but Notre Dame, Tennessee, North Carolina and Missouri have wasted no time in turning his head.
The Vols no doubt have Siter high on their board, but if the door is open for the team to sign both speedsters, then Josh Heupel will surely do what he can to make it happen. Mickens is a big-time talent, ranked four stars, the No. 11 RB in the country and No. 115 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
Twenty six programs have put an offer on the table for the Pennsylvania product. For a while, it seemed like Penn State was pretty much guaranteed to make things official with him during the Early Signing Period next December, but that all has changed due to Seider making the move to South Bend.
Notre Dame might be the early favorite to flip Mickens, but look for Heupel and his staff to keep showing the youngster a ton of love on the recruiting trail. Obviously, getting him on campus for an official visit down the road would help the Vols potentially pull off a flip as well.