Ryan was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Lafayette Christian star was the No. 2 safety in the nation and one of two five-star recruits from Louisiana.
His cousin, running back Kevin Faulk, and uncle, linebacker Trev Faulk, were also All-Americans at LSU. Ryan bled purple and gold and had the résumé to potentially join his relatives as an LSU legend.
But that’s not what happened.
In four seasons in Baton Rouge, Ryan earned a starting role but never became the star player many believed he could be, eventually transferring to Ole Miss after anchoring a struggling LSU secondary the last two seasons.
“Things didn’t kind of work out the way that we all wanted them to,” Kevin Faulk said. “We all expected it to, but I always tell friends, relatives (and) family, it’s not what you think it’s going to be when you get there. There’s a lot of work involved. There’s a lot of things that happen out of our control.”
Ryan’s history with LSU sets up an interesting dynamic for him this weekend when the Tigers travel to Ole Miss on Saturday to take on the Rebels (2:30 p.m., ABC).
“I can’t wait,” Ryan said to Ole Miss reporters in April. “I’m seeing red already… I can’t wait to go against my former teammates, like Aaron Anderson and all of them… And my guy (quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is) back there, so it’s going to be fun.”
Through four contests, Ryan has played an important role within Ole Miss’ defense. He’s started every game at safety, racking up seven total tackles and allowing six receptions for 49 yards on 10 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ryan isn’t the only Ole Miss player looking for revenge on Saturday. Along with Ryan, the Rebels also have former Tigers edge rusher Da’Shawn Womack and running back Logan Diggs, but Ryan is the only starter among them.
Womack has played 112 snaps on defense in his first year at Ole Miss this season, according to PFF. Diggs has 13 carries for 117 yards through four games.
“Sage is a really savvy player that’s played a lot, plays a lot of different spots,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said, “and so we’re pleased to have him, and he’s great to be around and a really good team guy.”
Ryan’s decision to transfer didn’t surprise Faulk. He respects his cousin’s decision to leave the Tigers for the Rebels — even if he is an LSU person for life.
“There’s a lot of things that we do that we don’t tell people why, it’s just you never know,” Kevin said. “But, like I said, (you) stand by him, root him on (and) continue to move forward. He just wanted to continue to grow.”
Faulk spent his entire collegiate and professional careers with one team. After spending four years as the star running back at LSU, he played the next 13 seasons of his career with the New England Patriots.
But Faulk still knows what it’s like to go up against someone (or a place) that’s near and dear to your heart. In 2004, Faulk played against Trev in a matchup between the Patriots and St. Louis Rams in St. Louis.
They were literally face-to-face in the second quarter when Trev tackled Kevin on a nine-yard carry in the open field.
“I always bring it up to him. I always tell him, I’m like, ‘Oh, come on cuz,’ ” Kevin said. “He’s like, ‘Because I watched you for a lot of years make people look bad in one-on-one space situations, I was ready for that situation by all means.’ ”
Kevin Faulk went into that November day in 2004 hoping his team would win the game but also wishing for Trev to play well. He’s entering this weekend with the same mindset, wanting LSU to win while hoping that Ryan has a strong performance against his former team.
“You don’t want him to not play well,” Kevin said. “You want him to play well, but at the same time, we all know who we want to win the game.”