There’s this highly scientific statistic in college football – particularly for defensive linemen – that somehow gets left off the books year-after-year. Iowa signee and three-star defensive tackle out of Chicago Marist, Brad Fitzgibbon, happens to specialize in it.
One might call this stat “effing the play up.”
A big, strong presence on the RedHawks DL, Fitzgibbon is a force to be reckoned with on every down. With a high-motor and a sizable frame, the 6’3”, 280-pound DT finds a way to get into the backfield on a regular basis and either rack up sacks or tackle the ball-carrier. Often using his brute strength as a defensive end in Marist’s three-four base defense, Fitzgibbon isn’t a super-refined pass-rusher.
And that’s why he falls into the sleeper category for me. Fitzgibbon, though he possesses the physical tools to succeed at the next level, he has a lot to learn. Fitzgibbon’s natural gifts are great, but with a 4.6 cumulative GPA, he has the intelligence and understanding of the work he needs to undertake to be what he wants to be at the next level. He strikes me as a similar communicator to Logan Lee or Aaron Graves.
He may not pop right away in black and gold, but Fitzgibbon is a project that may well be worth waiting for once he puts it all together. -- Eliot Clough
Read on for picks from me and Ross:
iowa.rivals.com
One might call this stat “effing the play up.”
A big, strong presence on the RedHawks DL, Fitzgibbon is a force to be reckoned with on every down. With a high-motor and a sizable frame, the 6’3”, 280-pound DT finds a way to get into the backfield on a regular basis and either rack up sacks or tackle the ball-carrier. Often using his brute strength as a defensive end in Marist’s three-four base defense, Fitzgibbon isn’t a super-refined pass-rusher.
And that’s why he falls into the sleeper category for me. Fitzgibbon, though he possesses the physical tools to succeed at the next level, he has a lot to learn. Fitzgibbon’s natural gifts are great, but with a 4.6 cumulative GPA, he has the intelligence and understanding of the work he needs to undertake to be what he wants to be at the next level. He strikes me as a similar communicator to Logan Lee or Aaron Graves.
He may not pop right away in black and gold, but Fitzgibbon is a project that may well be worth waiting for once he puts it all together. -- Eliot Clough
Read on for picks from me and Ross:
Signing Day 2025: The Sleepers
The Hawkeye Beacon staff's set of sleepers in Iowa football recruiting class of 2025.
