#40

Paul Fitzgerald

DE · Utah · R-Jr. · #40

Returning to Utah for 2026
R-Jr. · Idaho Falls, Idaho → Thunder Ridge HS
via utahutes.com ↗
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

Paul Fitzgerald

DE · Utah · Jr · #40

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#1890 national
CFB
College
2 teams
2023–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025

1 coach

Played his entire career under Kyle Whittingham.

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2023Utah State6-7HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning
2024Utah5-7HC: Kyle Whittingham · Balanced
2025Utah11-2HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2025Utah721.50.5------
2024Utah430.00.0------
2023Utah State46239.07.01----
Career572810.57.51----

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

  • 14% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • 3 Utah players drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -3 net (17 in / 20 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

Utah · Last season: 11-2 (AP #15) · Talent rank #44 · 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.

Paul Oyewale

76%match

TCU · 2023

#2

Zion Tupuola-Fetui

Washington · 2022

74%
#3

Connor O'Toole

Utah · 2023

72%
#4

Isaiah Bagnah

Boise State · 2021

72%
#5

Turner Coxe

SMU · 2020

69%

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).

Hawai'i · 2024

#2

Zach Durfee

Washington · 2024

NFL Rd 7
80%
#3

Turner Coxe

SMU · 2020

79%
#4
78%
#5

Jahkai Lang

Missouri · 2024

76%

Matches Lesterlaisene on

Height
Sack rate
TFL rate

Differs from Lesterlaisene on

Class year (higher)

Heisman trajectory

Heisman Trajectory · 2025

Peak #7057

Final rank
#7057
Avg #8336.7
Finalist prob 0%

Peaked at #7057 this season.

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...

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