Overview
- Mickens, ESPN’s No. 13 running back and No. 141 overall for 2026, announced his decision Tuesday after an official visit to Blacksburg over the weekend.
- The former Penn State commit decommitted Nov. 19 following Franklin’s exit, later selecting Virginia Tech over Indiana, Oklahoma and Ole Miss.
- He now stands as the top-ranked member of the Hokies’ 2026 group and the first ESPN 300 addition since Franklin’s Nov. 17 hire.
- Virginia Tech hosted multiple priority recruits during the Week 13 home window, including QB Troy Huhn, S Matt Sieg, TE Pierce Petersohn and OT Thomas Wilder.
- The commitment lands as Virginia Tech pursues further additions with the early signing period opening Dec. 3.