4-star EDGE Joshua Mickens decommits from LSU

Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence Central four-star EDGE Joshua Mickens has decommitted from LSU. He was previously pledged to the Tigers since July 3.

Mickens is the No. 130 overall prospect and No. 21 EDGE in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 2 player in Indiana.

On3 rates Mickens higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2023 On300, he is the No. 57 overall prospect, No. 7 EDGE and No. 1 player in Indiana.

“First, I would like to thank the entire LSU football staff for the opportunity to be a part of their prestigious program, especially Coach Kelly and Coach Polian,” Mickens wrote in a statement published to social media. “However, after much prayer, conversations with my family and coaches, at this time I have decided to de-commit from LSU and re-open my recruitment. Thank you again to the entire LSU football community for the love and support you have shown over the last year.”

pic.twitter.com/blD3zfdvT7

— Joshua Mickens (@JoshuaMickens7) November 28, 2022

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound pass rusher was previously the seventh-highest-ranked recruit in LSU’s 2023 recruiting class. Despite Mickens’ decommitment, the Tigers still have commitments from three EDGE players, including two in the top 125 of the On3 Consensus.

For more LSU recruiting intel, check out The Bengal Tiger.

One school to watch for Mickens’ pledge is Ohio State, who got an official visit from the Indiana native on the weekend of Nov. 26. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Buckeyes now have a commanding lead for his commitment at 95.8%.

RPM was released to the public in December. The On3 engineering group teamed up with Spiny.ai to create the industry’s first algorithm and machine learning-based product to predict where athletes will attend college. 

It factors in machine learning, social sentiment, visits and historical trends. However, expert predictions are still a big piece of the RPM equation.

Mickens has an On3 NIL Valuation of $129K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Joshua Mickens On3 Scouting Summary

The following is the On3 Scouting Summary for Joshua Mickens:

“One of the more skilled pass rushers in what is a deep group at the position in the 2023 cycle. Shows an advanced first step along with the ability to dip and bend around the edge. A fluid, functional mover. Will need to continue adding bulk and mass, but has some functional strength that belies his current size at around 6-foot-5, 210 pounds. Productive as a junior, totaling 23 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Also has a strong multi-sport profile as a top basketball player to go with a shot put toss over 48 feet as a sophomore.”