Future Penn State running back Messiah Mickens named Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year
Future Penn State running back Messiah Mickens earned one of the biggest awards in high school football Friday morning, earning the honor of being named Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania for the 2024 season.
A four-star prospect and a Top 100 player in On3’s Industry Rankings, Mickens spent two years at Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Pa., before transferring to local powerhouse Harrisburg in the offseason. Although the Cougars fell short of their ultimate goal of winning a state championship this season, losing to Central Catholic in the semifinals last weekend, Mickens was excellent both offensively and defensively during his junior season.
As a running back, Mickens totaled more than 1,400 all-purpose yards on the season, scoring 23 touchdowns. However, his defensive stats may have been even better, totaling 81 tackles and an eye-catching 39 tackles for loss. He also had 21 quarterback hurries, 16.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Link: Penn State continues to impress coveted 2026 WR Jerquaden Guilford
Although he did take an unofficial visit to South Carolina earlier this year with close friend and 2025 Gamecock commit Lex Cyrus, Mickens has been firmly committed to Penn State for over a year now, committing back in Aug. 2023. Over the course of his recruitment he’s visited nearly 20 times.
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Mickens is actually one of two players from Harrisburg High School who are committed to Penn State, joining Top 50 overall prospect and potential five-star offensive lineman Kevin Brown. Currently, the Nittany Lions have seven players committed in the Class of 2026. Mickens and Brown are the two top-ranked players in the class, but they also hold commitments from On3 Industry four-star prospects Troy Huhn, Matt Sieg and Daniel Jennings. Wide receivers Jahsiear Rogers and Lavar Keys both hold three-star ratings in the Industry Rankings, although Rogers is a four-star prospect by On3. Penn State’s 2026 class could grow to eight soon, as wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford is believed to be leaning in Penn State’s direction.
Other familiar names for Penn State fans who won Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states included former Penn State running back commit Alvin Henderson in Alabama, safety Kainoa Winston in Washington, D.C., 2026 quarterback Dia Bell in Florida and quarterback Malik Washington in Maryland.
