Northwestern senior Robert Fitzgerald continues to earn national recognition heading into 2026 after landing at No. 93 on ESPN's college football Top 100 list. With a breakout 2025 season, team captain role and prestigious No. 1 jersey, expectations are high for the Wildcats’ defensive leader.
Robert Fitzgerald continues to receive recognition heading into the 2026 season.
The Northwestern safety was included on ESPN’s Top 100 Players Ahead of the 2026 Season, adding another major preseason honor to an already impressive offseason for the senior.
While preseason rankings are ultimately subjective, Fitzgerald’s No. 93 ranking is another indication of the respect he has earned after his breakout 2025 campaign.
Fitzgerald started all 13 games last season and finished with 115 total tackles, including 70 solo stops, 6.0 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery.
He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors while ranking second in the conference and 25th nationally in total tackles.
His 70 solo tackles led the Big Ten and tied for second nationally. Fitzgerald also became the first Northwestern defensive back since at least 1995 to record more than 110 tackles in a season.
Oct 18, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Robert Fitzgerald (6) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesNow, expectations are even higher.
Fitzgerald was voted one of Northwestern’s team captains for the 2026 season, showing the respect he has earned from his teammates. He will be counted on as one of the leaders of a Wildcats defense that hopes to build on its success from a season ago.
But Fitzgerald has received an even bigger honor from his teammates.
He will wear Northwestern’s No. 1 jersey this season, an honor voted on annually by the players and given to the player who best embodies what it means to be a Wildcat in the community, classroom and on the field.
It is the highest honor in the Northwestern football program. That recognition says plenty about Fitzgerald’s impact beyond his statistics.
He has already established himself as one of the team’s most productive defensive players, but his leadership and presence have made him someone his teammates trust to help guide the program.
Now, Fitzgerald enters his senior season with another opportunity to prove he belongs among the nation’s best defensive players.
The ESPN Top 100 recognition adds to the expectations surrounding him, but Fitzgerald will ultimately have to produce on the field.
If he can build on his historic 2025 season while continuing to lead Northwestern’s defense, Fitzgerald could establish himself as one of the Big Ten’s premier defensive backs and help the Wildcats compete against some of the conference’s best offenses.
There is plenty to expect from Fitzgerald in 2026.
With the No. 1 jersey on his back and the trust of his teammates behind him, the senior has an opportunity to make his final season in Evanston his best one yet.
