UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 40 Paul Fitzgerald

There are 40 days until kickoff so with today’s UteNation countdown to Kickoff, it’s time to discuss No. 40, defensive end, Paul Fitzgerald. The 6-foot-4 and 251 pound edge rusher began his college football career at Utah State, quickly establishing himself as a feared defensive end. During the 2023 season, he started all 13 games and recorded 46 tackles, including nine tackles for loss and eight sacks. Playing in the Idaho Potato Bowl, Fitzgerald tied the USU record with three sacks against Georgia State. 

After transferring to the University of Utah for the 2024 season, Fitzgerald appeared in nine games and recorded four tackles, one each against ASU, Colorado, Iowa State, and UCF. 

UteNation Take

Fitzgerald’s ability to pressure quarterbacks and disrupt offensive plays is his calling card. If he can translate what he did consistently at Utah State to the P4 level, Utah will have yet another in a long line of dominant defensive ends.

Utah has a deep defensive end group led by Logan Fano. From there, however, the pecking order still needs to shake out. Fitzgerald will be a part of a group fighting to start on the opposite end of Fano, consisting of John Henry Daley, Kash Dillon, Jaxson Jones, and Lance Holtzclaw.

Remembering Fitzgerald’s recruitment

The Thunder Ridge HS defensive end had four offers out of high school: Utah State, BYU, Idaho State, and Nevada. He was committed to BYU in 2022 for about three weeks, before flipping to Utah State.

After a breakout 2023 season, Fitzgerald hit the NCAA transfer portal, choosing to challenge himself in a P4 conference, ultimately choosing to transfer to Utah.