Three-star DL 'thankful' for Syracuse offer

2027 defensive lineman Johnnie Fitzgerald is one of the most coveted prospects in the country.

The Rivals three-star prospect holds over a dozen offers, including Baylor, Kansas State, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, SMU and Texas Tech, among others.

Syracuse is a recent entrant into his recruitment, with the Orange offering him earlier in November.

"I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to play ball at Syracuse,” Fitzgerald said to The Juice Online.

Fitzgerald hears Syracuse's recruiting pitch

The offer came from Syracuse defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson.

"I think Coach E-Rob is a good coach after speaking with him,” Fitzgerald said. "I get a good feeling about him.”

Aside from the offer, Robinson spoke about the culture that head coach Fran Brown has been trying to instill since he arrived at Syracuse two seasons ago with the philosophy of D.A.R.T. (detailed, accountable, relentless, tough).

He also said that Syracuse plans on competing for national championships in the near future, and players like Fitzgerald can be developed into NFL talent.

Fitzgerald discusses academic interests

They also discussed things away from the field.

"We talked about school and education,” Fitzgerald said. “My AP physics class.”

Education is a key part of any school currently recruiting him. Fitzgerald holds a 3.5 GPA and says he’s looking to major in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

Syracuse has been involved with the Lone Star State under Brown. In the 2025 class, he recruited offensive lineman Bryan Washington and quarterback Luke Carney. In the upcoming 2026 class, defensive lineman Kordae Houston is from the Dallas area.

Fitzgerald discusses his recruitment

As for his recruitment, Fitzgerald is still early in his recruitment and says he has no favorites at this point.

“I’m just enjoying the process,” Fitzgerald said. “Thankful to God for the opportunities.”

His Red Oak (TX) High team just finished a 5-5 season, which ended in disappointment, but Fitzgerald plans on using that as motivation for 2026.

“The season went well,” Fitzgerald said. “I will be working on double and triple teams work all offseason.”

He describes himself as a competitor who has a relentless motor.

"Strong hands, active feet, quick, basically describes me,” Fitzgerald said. "Watch my film, I think you will like what you see."