Jonathan Sutherland to Penn State: Nittany Lions Land 4-Star Safety Prospect

Talented safety Jonathan Sutherland announced Sunday he's committing to the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

"I'm so excited to be committed to Penn State," Sutherland said, per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "It's an absolute honor to be part of this program."

Sutherland also tweeted about his decision:

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Sutherland is the No. 23 safety and No. 266 player overall in the 2017 recruiting class.

PennLive.com's Greg Pickel wrote Penn State had been the heavy favorite to earn his commitment:

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Penn State has been hosting the safety for camps since he was in eighth grade, and while the Lions have missed out on Sutherland's other training mates in Canada like corner Patrice Rene (who picked North Carolina) and Luiji Villian (an end verbally committed to Michigan), it is expected to land him after he visited campus for two days last weekend. It marked his first stop on campus in some time, and according to those close to Sutherland, the trip blew him away.

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He's the second safety to commit to the school, joining 3-star recruit Brelin Faison-Walden, who ranks 31st at his position and 447th overall, per 247Sports. The Nittany Lions will further supplement the secondary with the arrival of 3-star D.J. Brown, who's the 115th-best cornerback in 2017.

Getting Sutherland on board is big for Penn State since head coach James Franklin hasn't enjoyed a ton of success on the recruiting trail. After ranking second in the Big Ten in 2015 and then fourth in 2016, the Nittany Lions are ninth in the conference for 2017, per 247Sports' composite team rankings.

Sutherland should become a reliable member of Penn State's secondary over the course of his college career, but he's unlikely to be an immediate hit.

He doesn't lack ideal size (6'0", 195 lbs) for his position, and he ran a 4.84-second 40-yard dash at The Opening Washington, D.C., in April, per StudentSportsEvents.com. Safeties don't often line up in man coverage against wideouts, but Sutherland's lack of speed could hinder his potential.

Sutherland is a good run defender, though, and Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue shared a clip of Sutherland at The Opening showing off his agility in pass coverage:

The Alexandria, Virginia, native has a relatively high floor since he can contribute against both the run and pass. Even if he doesn't become an All-American-caliber safety, Sutherland should grow into a steady starter for Penn State.

Note: Recruit info is courtesy of 247Sports.