Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#40
Paul Fitzgerald
Senior defensive end on Utah's 2026 roster.
6′4″ · 256 lb · Idaho Falls, ID · Thunder Ridge HS
CFB Index 82 · #40 of 418 edge rushersMedium confidenceReturning to Utah for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
2 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, vs Idaho
Statement game4 tackles · 3 TFL · 3 sacksvs Georgia State (FBS) · L 22-45
Top 1% sacks game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive end on Utah's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Utah State in 2022.
- Transferred from Utah State to Utah in 2024.
Paul Fitzgerald
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Blake Anderson, Kyle Whittingham and Morgan Scalley. The receipt: 2 tackles against Idaho — Week 1, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Utah State3-star out of Thunder Ridge
20244 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Utah
2026era →
Morgan Scalley
Utah
Coaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Utah State6-7HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning
2024Utah5-7HC: Kyle Whittingham · Balanced
2025Utah11-2HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy
2026Utah2-0HC: Morgan Scalley · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 2.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2023
Impact starter
Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
82 · #40 of 418 edge rushers
Three-star recruit. Now #40 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah | 2 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Utah | 7 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Utah | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Utah State | 46 | 23 | 9.0 | 7.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 59 | 28 | 10.5 | 7.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–14
vs Idaho
2 TOT
Dominant 52-point win at home against Idaho.
With D. Dampier — 176 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.5 · 31 rush yds (6 car) · B. Ficklin — 93 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.1 · 70 rush yds (8 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Utah
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Utah
Returning around him
- 3 Utah players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (17 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Utah · Last season: 11-2 (AP #15) · Talent rank #58 · 2026 recruiting class #27
DNA match
Player DNA
Finisher
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes.
EDGE
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Paul Oyewale’s 2023 season.
Matches Paul on
Sack rate
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Differs from Paul on
Pressure-to-sack conversion (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina's freshman season at Hawai'i (2024).
87%match
Matches Lesterlaisene on
Height
Sack rate
TFL rate
Differs from Lesterlaisene on
Class year (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Paul Fitzgerald
Background
2025: Played in four games during the regular season. Contributed 11 tackles (1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack). Season-high six stops came in the win over Cal Poly, making 1.5 TFL and 0.5 sack along the way. 2024: Played in nine games, both on defense and special teams. Four tackles on the season, with one api...
The defensive line · Utah
- #8Ethan Day7 tackles for loss · 2025
- #93Kash Dillon4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #15Lance Holtzclaw4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #90Jireh Moe2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #40Paul Fitzgerald1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Utah team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology