Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-18vs South Dakota State | 14 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 14 tackles |
| Total | 14 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#6
Robert Fitzgerald
Senior defensive back on Northwestern's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 210 lb · Dallas, TX · Jesuit College Prep
CFB Index 82 · #32 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Northwestern 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.
Recruiting
3★
S recruit
No. 756 nationally · Signed with Northwestern
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Northwestern's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northwestern in 2022.
In Their Words
191 windows · 2026 fan posts
northwestern×142.3lawsuit×93.4pat×54.8won×20.9
“Fitzgerald won the lawsuit because Northwestern is incompetent. The best case scenario for Fitzgerald is that he’s also incompetent and can’t control his locker room”
reddit/CFB · fan post, verbatim
Robert Fitzgerald
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Fourth year in the Northwestern secondary, same address the whole way. His first career honor landed in 2025: All-Big Ten. The receipt: 14 tackles against South Dakota State — Week 1, 2026.
14 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2022
- Signed with Northwestern3-star out of Dallas Jesuit
202512 games
- All-Big Ten
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northwestern
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Northwestern
Played his entire career under David Braun.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under David Braun — 20-19 over that span.
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2026Northwestern1-0HC: David Braun · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceSustained Ascent
Concern: tackles for loss (20th 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: 14.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 1 game in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Impact starter
Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
82 · #32 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #32 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #7 of 77 Big Ten DBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | 14 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 106 | 63 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 46 | 31 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 13 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 179 | 112 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 5 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–18
14 TOT · 8 SOLO · 1 PD
With A. Chiles — 273 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · 18 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · J. Himon II — 87 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northwestern
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Northwestern
Returning around him
- 2 Northwestern players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +9 net (17 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northwestern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #60 · 2026 recruiting class #52
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kenny Logan Jr.’s 2021 season.
81%match
All-Big 12
Matches Kenny on
PD rate
Tackle volume
Class year
Differs from Kenny on
Weight (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Amare Campbell's junior season at Penn State (2025).
79%match
All-Big Ten
Matches Amare on
Class year
Tackle volume
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Robert Fitzgerald
Background
2025 Redshirt Junior: Earned All-Big Ten Second-Team honors … Started all 13 games for the Wildcats at safety … Posted a Big Ten-high 69 solo tackles in 13 starts this season … Racked up a team-high 114 total tackles, 6.0 TFLs, four pass breakups, one fumble recovery and an interception … Became...
The secondary · Northwestern
- #6Robert Fitzgerald106 tackles · 2025
- #9Braden Turner52 tackles · 2025
- #18Garner Wallace45 tackles · 2025
- #13Josh Fussell29 tackles · 2025
- #3Brenden Deasfernandes25 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Northwestern team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology