Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
4 6 M A Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M his breakout season at wide receiver for La Salle, O'Brien realizes Penn State has a genuine interest in giving him an op- portunity to be a two-way player. Last fall, O'Brien set a school re- cord with 1,029 receiving yards on 68 catches. He has five official visits set, beginning with Penn State the week- end of May 16-18. He'll then travel to Clemson, Oregon and Tennessee before finishing with Notre Dame June 20-22. The Fighting Irish are the popular pick, but we expect O'Brien's official visits to play a big role. Penn State still has a real shot with the four-star pros- pect, but the competition is very strong. O'Brien is the No. 100 recruit and No. 8 safety nationally and the No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania for the class. Damari Simeon DL 6-2 | 275 | Egg Harbor Twp., N.J. Penn State was one of the first Power Four programs to offer Simeon after he camped with the staff in June 2024. The four-star prospect then attended the White Out game in November and even bought tickets on his own to attend last season's College Football Playoff game against SMU. This spring, Simeon has been fo- cused on seeing some other prominent programs. He traveled to Tennessee and Michigan in March, then went to Ohio State, Texas and Texas A&M in April. Simeon was still working to finalize his official visit schedule as of late April. Although he hasn't been to State Col- lege since December, we're under the impression that Penn State's staff still believes they're in a good position with Simeon, who's ranked No. 66 nationally and No. 7 at defensive tackle. Luke Wafle DE | 6-5 | 245 | Middletown, N.J. Wafle is the younger brother of Owen Wafle, who transferred to Penn State in January after one year at Michigan. The On3 Industry 2026 Team Recruiting Rankings As of April 28 Rk. School Commits 1. LSU 10 2. USC 23 3. Ohio State 11 4. Notre Dame 12 5. Texas A&M 11 6. Alabama 5 7. Oregon 7 8. Clemson 14 9. Penn State 13 10. Miami 9 It's been nearly two years since running back Messiah Mickens committed to Penn State in August 2023. For most of that time, the Harrisburg prospect has been fully on board. Not only has he vis- ited the school a dozen times for games and recruiting events, but he's also been working to persuade others to join him. When news broke back on Feb. 9 that run- ning backs coach Ja'Juan Seider was leaving Penn State to join Notre Dame's staff, Mick- ens found himself facing a difficult decision. On one hand, he loved the idea of staying close to home and playing for one of the game's most successful programs. But now the person who had taken the lead in his re- cruitment was at another blue blood school. On March 29, Mickens had an opportunity spend a day with Seider's successor, Stan Drayton. There had been plenty of texts and calls after Drayton took charge of the PSU backfield, but Mickens wanted to get to know his prospective position coach better before reaffirming his commitment. As it turned out, all he needed was just a few hours with Drayton to realize he didn't have to reopen his recruitment. "The relationship with Coach Drayton is still building, but I couldn't ask for a better start with him," Mickens said. "He's been taking time three days a week just to sit down and watch film on me for hours. He'll be in there until 10 o'clock some nights focusing on just me. He's been doing everything he can to get to know me and show me why this is still the best place for me." Mickens needed to feel comfortable with Drayton's coaching style. Both on the field and in the Lasch Building, the 2026 running back prospect said he was impressed with how the veteran coach carries himself. It doesn't hurt that Drayton has been part of multiple coaching staffs that have won national cham- pionships, including the Ohio State team that won the first College Football Playoff in 2014. "It's definitely a different vibe in the run- ning backs room," Mickens said. "I feel like he's definitely putting God first, which I love. Not every coach does that. But he's setting the standard that we want to be the best in the country. He can talk the way he wants to because he's done it before. He's been with the best and won national championships." Of course, Penn State head coach James Franklin also had a major impact on Mickens' decision to not take visits elsewhere. During a lengthy conversation in the head coach's office, Mickens said Franklin answered all the questions he and his father asked. Mickens confirmed that he spoke with Seider shortly before his announcement became public. While that relationship will always remain strong, Mickens came away understanding that his commit- ment to Penn State was about more than just one relationship. "I committed to that school for a reason, and I never wanted to be that kid who committed to three different schools," he said. "I committed to that school for the tradition. Me being a kid in this state, it does mean a lot to me to play for my hometown school." — Ryan Snyder Meeting With New Coach Reaffirms Messiah Mickens' Commitment Mickens has been getting to know running backs coach Stan Drayton this spring. "I couldn't ask for a better start with him," the four-star Harrisburg prospect said. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER