No wide receiver in NFL history has come closing to touching the records set by Jerry Rice than Larry Fitzgerald. But while his legacy as an all-time will soon be solidified with a bust in Canton, his son is going to continue the Fitzgerald family name in college football.
On Saturday, high school wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame. He chose the Fighting Irish over offers from the likes of Stanford, Clemson and UCLA among a slew of other premier college football schools.
“I’ve developed into a better ballplayer, and they really think I’m going to turn into a great player,” Fitzgerald told ESPN. “I’ve known Coach Brown since I was 5 years old. He’s shown me that I can come in, step up and play early. That’s their plan with me.”
Class of 2026 wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald, son of 11-time Pro Bowl selection Larry Fitzgerald, has committed to Notre Dame.More via @ByEliLederman:https://t.co/S8HvDK8FtR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 6, 2025
As you might expect, Devin Fitzgerald acknowledged his father’s impact on his football career and praised him for helping him through his recruiting process.
“Having my dad there to help me throughout the recruiting process has been great,” Devin Fitzgerald told ESPN. “He knows what’s important. You want to go somewhere you feel like you belong and where you fit in.”
Larry Fitzgerald became one of college football’s greatest wide receivers of the early-2000s while playing at Pitt. He only narrowly missed out on winning the Heisman in 2003 before embarking on his Hall of Fame-caliber NFL career. Fitzgerald still holds the Panthers’ all-time single-season receiving touchdown record.
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Expectations for Devin Fitzgerald aren’t exactly at Arch Manning levels of hype though. 247Sports has him listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 453 overall player in the Class of 2026. He is the No. 72 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 7 player from the state of Arizona.
But Fitzgerald joins a Notre Dame class that has somewhat quietly emerged as one of their top recruiting classes in recent memory. The class already features multiple hard-commits from several five-star recruits, including the top tight end and safety in the country.
It may take some time before we really see what kind of college player Devin Fitzgerald is, but you could hardly ask for a wide receiver with a better pedigree.
Related: Bruce Arians Reveals He Reached Out To Legendary Wide Receiver
