Jordan Whitehead Commits to Pitt: Where Do PSU, OSU and WVU Turn Now?

Plenty of prognosticators projected coveted cornerback Jordan Whitehead to remain in his home state of Pennsylvania for college, but few predicted Pittsburgh as the preferred landing spot. He provided a slight surprise Friday afternoon, committing to the Panthers over Penn State, West Virginia and Ohio State during an announcement ceremony at Central Valley High School, per KDKA TV sports director Bob Pompeani:

The 6'0", 190-pound playmaker ranks among the Northeast's top defenders, establishing a reputation as an aggressive ball hawk in recent years. Whitehead has picked off 14 passes during his high school career, including three interceptions this season, per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.

Rated 20th nationally among cornerbacks in 247Sports' composite rankings, he commanded offers from an expansive array of college programs. Scholarship opportunities arrived from Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Tennessee and several others.

His decision ultimately centered on a collection of four finalists, with Pittsburgh, Penn State, Ohio State and West Virginia rising to the forefront.

The Nittany Lions were largely viewed as a favorite during the final stretch of his recruitment, commanding 59 percent of expert predictions in 247Sports' Crystal Ball. Penn State has picked up a multitude of top in-state talent en route to assembling the nation's eighth-ranked recruiting class in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Head coach James Franklin's haul includes homegrown 4-star cornerback John Reid, but work remains necessary to stockpile a defensive secondary slightly depleted by past scholarship sanctions. Penn State has several other possibilities on its radar, including in-state talent Jay Stocker, who attended camp in Happy Valley this summer, and current 5-star Alabama commit Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is teammates with Lions quarterback commit Brandon Wimbush.

Ohio State, which ranked second in Whitehead's 247Sports Crystal Ball projections, has done an efficient job filling holes at cornerback. In-state defender Eric Glover-Williams and Florida product Jamel Dean are both committed to the Buckeyes.

Urban Meyer and company hosted 5-star LSU pledge Kevin Toliver for an official visit weekend in September. 

West Virginia arguably needed Whitehead more than his other finalists, as the squad has frequently struggled to deal with explosive aerial attacks during its brief Big 12 tenure. The Mountaineers narrowly missed on highly recruited New Jersey cornerback Kareem Ali a few months ago and must again search elsewhere for a solution at the position.

Whitehead, who spent an official visit weekend in Morgantown last month, takes the team's most highly rated defensive back off the board, but there are other available options. Watch for West Virginia to further invest in the pursuits of Miami prospects Davante Davis and Sheldrick Redwine. 

The Mountaineers can take solace in the fact that former Florida State commit Tyrek Cole flipped to the team in September.

Recruit ratings and recruitment info courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @TDsTake