Recruiting

Four-star safety Daemon Fagan gets family feel with Ohio State

PLANTATION, Fla. — Ohio State is expected to take a big haul in the secondary in the 2023 class, especially at safety where the Buckeyes need to beef up the numbers beyond the 2022 season. Over the last several months, Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage standout Daemon Fagan has emerged as a prime target for new safeties coach Perry Eliano and the Buckeyes.

The four-star prospect made an unofficial visit to Ohio State back in April and continues to be impressed with everything he sees and hears about the program.

“It was amazing,” Fagan said of the visit. “It gave me that home away from home feeling. The coaching connection is real tight. I haven’t visited a lot of my other top schools yet but I can really tell that (Ohio State) is coming at me hard. It’s really like a family.”

Now Fagan’s attention will turn to official visits, which he wants to get scheduled this summer. The date with the Buckeyes hasn’t been locked in yet but should be soon.

“N.C. State, Ohio State, LSU, and Florida State,” Fagan said, when asked which schools he plans to make official visits to this summer.

Ohio State already has a pair of safety commits in 2023 in Malik Hartford and Cedrick Hawkins, the latter being a South Florida Express 7-on-7 teammate of Fagan’s. But it’s the pre-existing relationship with Eliano that has helped the Buckeyes surge in recent months.

“I’ve been following (Eliano’s situation) the whole way,” Fagan said. “He was recruiting me heavy (at Cincinnati) and now he’s at a top three school in the nation.”

Hear more from Fagan, one of the nation’s top safety recruits, in our interview below from our annual Southern Swing.