MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With far more size than a majority of cornerbacks, Chams Diagne is unique in stature.
The path he took to play power conference football is rather unparalleled as well.
Let Diagne describe it himself.
“To begin, I walked on at Georgia State out of high school,” Diagne said. “It was a little rough there, so I ended up transferring to Independence Community College out in Kansas. I played there and made the decision to transfer back to Georgia State, where I played for two years. I eventually ended up here in Almost Heaven.”
Indeed, Diagne was on the Panthers back in 2022 as a true freshman when he redshirted.
Diagne dropped down to the junior college ranks the next year, but still didn’t have much of a featured role as he played in eight games and recorded five tackles at ICC.
With an opportunity to return to the Division I ranks in 2024, Diagne did exactly that when he joined Georgia State for a second time.
“It was honestly crazy,” Diagne said. “I kind of went back to the same faces that I was there with before. I was welcomed with open arms.”
Not all new faces, however, as Dell McGee had replaced Shawn Elliott as head coach.
Yet this time, Diagne was awarded a scholarship, and after recording six tackles across 10 games in 2024, he became a fixture in the lineup last season. That’s when Diagne appeared in 10 games, six of which he started, while recording 25 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception — that coming against Ole Miss.
“We had a new head coach, so it was a bit different from a culture standpoint, but it was a good experience,” Diagne said.
Diagne’s second stint at Georgia State allowed for further opportunities at a higher level, which he was presented with at West Virginia.
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound native of Atlanta wasn’t staying home to pass on a chance to play in the Big 12.
“I think it was just betting on myself,” Diagne said. “xI think I came off a pretty good season last season. I’ve always been about proving myself right, not proving other people wrong, and I think I can compete on this level. I know I can compete on this level. I took that gamble on myself and now it’s just time to prove myself right again.”
In what will be a new-look WVU secondary, Diagne figures to be part of the rotation and a possible starter at corner when the Mountaineers start the season September 5 against Coastal Carolina.
He’s hoping to stand out for more reasons than his size, though Diagne says it’s a big bonus to his skillset.
“I can shadow receivers a little bit better than a smaller corner,” Diagne said. “I definitely think my size is an advantage.”
WVU cornerbacks coach Rod West noted earlier this month he has never coached a corner or safety the size of Diagne, but strives to be adaptable in how he approaches the secondary as a whole.
“A lot of times as coaches, you can’t put guys into one mold like they have to do this, have to do that,” West said. “You have to be flexible. Everybody has different skillsets. Not just Chams, but I wouldn’t coach the same technique for multiple guys. Everybody is different.
“This will be my 18th season. I’ve yet to have two players that are the exact same. If it’s how they learn, how they move, how they study. As a coach, how to do a good job of being able to reach them where they are.”
Diagne has familiarity with another Mountaineer cornerback also likely to play a key role in Nick Taylor, a fellow Atlanta native. The two share a trainer at home and Diagne admitted Taylor played a role in his decision to come to West Virginia.
So, too, did WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez.
“I think he hooked me on my visit,” Diagne said. “Just like his philosophy of football and the hard edge culture. That’s something that really stood out and I knew I wanted to be a part of that, because that’s going to help my game in the long run.”