Penn State kept things rolling on the recruiting trail Wednesday, as three-star Charleston, W.Va., safety Derrek Pitts committed to James Franklin’s Nittany Lions over the home-state Mountaineers.

The 6-foot-1, 174-pound Pitts chose Penn State from a list of 19 reported offers, according to 247Sports, after mulling over a successful Lasch Bash visit. With Pitts on board, Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class currently checks in at 11 members. He joins four-star safety Jonathan Sutherland, who committed to play his college ball in Beaver Stadium on Wednesday, and three-star corner D.J. Brown as the next generation of Nittany Lion defensive backs.

Pitts is considered the second-best prospect from West Virginia this cycle and the nation’s 26th-overall athlete, according to 247Sports. Pitts showcased his elite athleticism at Nike’s The Opening earlier this summer, where he suited up alongside four-star quarterback commit Sean Clifford and Nittany Lion targets Lamont Wade and Jaelen Gill on Team Mach Speed.

You can check out his Hudl highlight tape right here.

Welcome to Happy Valley, Derrek!

About the Author

Ethan Kasales

Ethan’s a senior journalism major who grew up in Lemont, a few minutes from campus. When he’s not covering Penn State sports, you can usually find him golfing or teaching snowboarding at Tussey Mountain. Feel free to email him at ethan@onwardstate.com.

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