Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 MARCH 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY M arcus Freeman has routinely signed recruits with an NFL pedigree. However, Devin Fitzgerald, the son of legendary Arizona Cardinals wide re- ceiver Larry Fitzgerald, waited about a year to earn his Irish offer. When Devin camped at Notre Dame in June 2024, he was a developmental prospect. As a sophomore for Phoenix Brophy College Prep the previous sea- son, he finished with only 15 catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. But Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown kept tracking him. Fitzgerald blossomed as a junior to catch 52 passes for 720 yards and 9 touchdowns. Brown invited him back to campus for the Florida State game in 2024 and again for a Junior Day in Janu- ary 2025. Yet it was not until four months later, in May 2025, that Brown finally offered him. Freeman bought into his upside, and he could not pass it up. "He has some of the best ball skills of any wide receiver prospect I've seen," Freeman told reporters during his Dec. 3 national signing day news conference. "He's just always in a position to make a play, and he makes the play. He was too good to not go in full throttle and try to get him committed, and we're grateful he did commit." Fitzgerald proved Notre Dame right this past season. During his senior year, he caught 82 passes for 1,230 yards and 15 touchdowns. In four of those outings, he had at least 10 catches. Fitzgerald surged in the final Rivals rankings, rising 33 spots at his posi- tion from the No. 71 wide receiver in the class to No. 38. He also debuted in the Rivals300 as the No. 243 overall player nationally and No. 3 prospect in Arizona. While many might have thought Freeman initially took a gamble by re- cruiting the younger Fitzgerald, the odds are now in his favor of him de- veloping into a key contributor for the future Irish passing attack. ✦ Notre Dame Made The Right Call Betting On Devin Fitzgerald Fitzgerald made a major jump from his junior to senior year, catching 82 passes for 1,230 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS DEVIN FITZGERALD WIDE RECEIVER 6-2 ∙ 197 BROPHY COLLEGE PREPARATORY PARADISE VALLEY, ARIZ. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 252 41 3 ✪✪✪✪ 243 38 3 ✪✪✪✪ 217 28 2 ✪✪✪ — 76 6 STATISTICS • Totaled 82 receptions for 1,230 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games as a senior in 2025, guiding Brophy Prep to the Arizona Open Division quarterfinals. • Posted 52 catches for 720 yards and 9 touch- downs in 13 games as a junior in 2024, while help- ing the Broncos to the Class 6A state semifinals for the second straight year. • Hauled in 15 passes for 175 yards and 2 touch- downs in 11 games as a sophomore in 2023 for a team that reached the final four in the Arizona 6A division. NOTABLE • Invited to the 2026 Navy All-American Game. • Named to Fiesta Bowl All-State team and The Ar- izona Republic All-Arizona first-team squad in 2025. • Nominated for Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. • Was a Class 6A all-conference first-team pick in 2025. • Earned a spot on the Class 6A Central all-region first team in 2025, and was a second-team selec- tion in 2024. • Finished his career tied for first in school his- tory in receptions (149) and second in receiving yards (2,125) and touchdowns (26). • Represented the Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl LIX in 2024 for the Nike Next Ones. • His father is former NFL 11-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who spent 17 years with the Arizona Cardinals. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on July 5, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Chose the Irish over Clemson, UCLA and Stanford • Recruited by wide receivers coach Mike Brown. • Visited Notre Dame seven times, including his official visit on June 13, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • Fitzgerald is likely to redshirt but has the poten- tial to eventually make an impact on the boundary. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "He's a savvy, crafty receiver who has excel- lent ball-tracking skill and reliable hands. He caught almost every ball that was within his radius at the OT7 [seven-on-seven] playoffs in July. Fitzgerald has a knack of finding his way open, especially against zone defenses — he understands space. "He plays like the son of a pro. That's all really encouraging, and he's a guy who looks like a qual- ity high three-star at minimum based on what we saw. He looked even better in the seven-on-seven setting than he did on film as a junior. "He gives Notre Dame — at the minimum — a possession receiver who is really effective in the intermediate areas of the field. If he can continue to improve his speed and ability to separate, then that raises his ceiling."