Indiana first in for 2017 LB
Avon, Ind., 2017 linebacker Bryant Fitzgerald is coming off a break out sophomore campaign. He added his first college offer earlier this month from the home-state Indiana Hoosiers.
"Since freshman year they always kept me on the radar," Fitzgerald said. "Sophomore year was my first year on varsity and I did pretty well. They were talking about an early offer then, but they waited until my junior year.
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"As soon as I came back from IU camp this year, they told my coach that they were going to offer. It was basically planned out and I knew they were going to offer, I just didn't know when they were going to offer."
The Indiana camp Fitzgerald attended earlier this summer gave him the opportunity to work with coach William Inge, whom he has developed a strong relationship with.
"He makes you feel wanted," Fitzgerald said of Inge. "He's a big father figure that you have as a linebacker coach that you can come to. Whether it's football or something at home, Coach Inge is there for you. He is a really great coach and a great guy outside of football too."
Indiana is recruiting the 6-foot, 200-pound Fitzgerald for their Bandit position, a hybrid safety/linebacker. He sees that position as a fit for his game, and Bloomington fitting what he is looking for in a college.
"I really like their campus. It is a beautiful campus," Fitzgerald said. "I like that they are top five in the nation for business, and that is one of the things I really want to major in."
Beyond the offer from Iowa, Fitzgerald has begun to generate interest from other programs within the Midwest and outside his home region.
"Iowa was actually talking about an early offer as well," Fitzgerald said. "I have received interest from Northwestern, a lot from Cincinnati, Kentucky, North Carolina and Penn State."
Lining up primarily as a linebacker during the 2014 season, Fitzgerald accumulated 80 tackles and three sacks.