To the victor goes the spoils?
As Penn State attempts to find a replacement for James Franklin, the IU football staff, including many with Pennsylvania ties, have aggressively moved in to attempt to flip some of their high school commits.
ESPN says in a report IU is in pursuit of 2026 running back Messiah Mickens and 2026 wide receiver Davion Brown, both former PSU commits. A separate Rivals report also names 2027 linebacker Gabe Jenkins as a main IU target. All of them are 4-star prospects who have recently announced their decommitments from Penn State.
Here’s a bit more on each player. We’ll have more as things develop.
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MESSIAH MICKENS (2026)
Indiana offered Mickens in February, so this is not a new pursuit.
- 4-star running back
- 5-foot-11, 210 pounds
- No. 184 overall, No. 14 RB
- Harrisburg, Pa.
- Top competition: Penn State, Oklahoma, South Carolina
- Visit to Indiana scheduled based on reports
DAVION BROWN (2026)
Indiana offered Brown back in March, so this is also not a new pursuit.
- 4-star wide receiver
- 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
- No. 223 overall, No. 37 WR
- Richmond, Va.
- Top competition: Picked PSU over Michigan, Georgia, Virginia Tech and others
- Visits to be determined
GABE JENKINS (2027)
- 4-star linebacker
- 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
- No. 236 overall, No. 14 LB
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Top competition: Nebraska, North Carolina, Pitt, USC and others
PREVIOUS 2026 PENN STATE COMMITS WHO HAVE ALREADY VISITED INDIANA
SEE INDIANA’S CURRENT 2026 COMMITS AND CLASS RANKINGS:
Updated: IU Football Recruiting Overview Page — Commitments and Rankings
For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.
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