Coming out of Mainland High in Daytona Beach, Fla., in the 2017 class, safety Cyrus Fagan could have picked any school he wanted.
Before he even committed to Florida State prior to the spring of his junior year of high school, Fagan already had offers from powerhouses like Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio State, among many other notable Power Five programs. He was rated the No. 81 prospect nationally in the 2017 class regardless of position.
Yet over four years later, perhaps the most memorable moment of his career thus far did not come in the garnet and gold of FSU but rather a program that may not have even been on his radar in 2017: NC State.
Fagan transferred to the Wolfpack in the offseason to play his senior year of college football. On Thursday, Sept. 2 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, Fagan rushed onto the field wearing the red and white and feeling more at home than ever before.
“My best college experience yet,” Fagan said. “I tell everybody: coming through that smoke, not being able to see anybody next to me, running out in front of thousands of fans and showing our talents in front of everybody was the best feeling I could ask for.”
It was reflected in Fagan’s performance. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Fagan a 74.7 game grade, the best of his career dating back through his performances for the Seminoles. He had one of the Pack’s three interceptions, and yet his tackling score of 82.3 by PFF was the highest on the team. Fagan finished the game with seven tackles.
Fagan’s pick was a key play for NC State in preserving a 45-0 shutout win, the first time he played on a college defense that held an opponent scoreless.
"First doughnut of my college career. Glad I did it with the Pack," Fagan tweeted after the game.
The move to Raleigh has had a big affect on Fagan in multiple ways, starting with the competition with returning starter and sophomore Jakeen Harris.
“Me and Jakeen have been competing since I’ve been here,” Fagan noted. “Every day. He brought something out in me that I didn’t know I had, either. I am pretty sure I have done the same [for him].”
The two split the snaps at strong safety in the opener, with Harris getting the starting nod but Fagan playing one more rep (26 to 25).
The depth in the Wolfpack secondary is not exclusive to the strong safety position. Five corners played double-digit snaps against South Florida. At nickel, freshman reserve Joshua Pierre-Louis logged 26 reps. Sophomore reserve safety Rakeim Ashford played 16 snaps.
NC State will need that depth Saturday against a Mississippi State squad that is likely to pass it upwards of 50 times in a game. Fagan noted that Saturday's road game, “is on us,” referring to the secondary.
“Win, lose or draw, it’s on us,” Fagan added. “We got to know our responsibilities and know what we got to do as a team. We know that if want to see the team succeed, it starts in the DB room.”
And it’s a team to which Fagan already feels a special connection.
“I’m not going to lie, I love it here at NC State,” Fagan said. “Just seeing how the coaches treat you, how your teammates work with you — it’s been nothing but great. I have nothing other than great things to say about this place. I love it here.
“I am going to give it my all for this place. … It’s in my blood now … I love NC State. One Pack, one goal — I live by that.”
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