Northwestern safety Robert Fitzgerald earned a spot on ESPN's Top 100 Players in College Football, checking in at No. 93 ahead of the 2026 season.

The ranking, reported by Yahoo Sports, adds to a growing collection of preseason honors for Fitzgerald. The redshirt senior from Dallas has also landed on the Bednarik Award watch list, given annually to college football's Defensive Player of the Year, and the Lott Impact Trophy watch list.

Fitzgerald's 2025 production earned the recognition. He started all 13 games and piled up 115 total tackles, 70 solo stops, 6.0 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery.

His 70 solo tackles led the Big Ten and tied for second nationally. He became the first Northwestern defensive back since at least 1995 to top 110 tackles in a season, according to Yahoo Sports.

Those numbers earned him second-team All-Big Ten honors and a ranking of 25th nationally in total tackles.

His teammates took notice. Fitzgerald was voted one of six team captains for 2026 and will wear the No. 1 jersey, an honor given annually to the player who best represents the program. Coach David Braun told the Chicago Tribune that Fitzgerald earned the distinction through his leadership, work ethic and willingness to hold teammates accountable.

At Big Ten Media Days on Aug. 10, Fitzgerald described the defense's preparation under coordinator Tim McGarigle. "We've seen so many different looks, so many different personnel groups and formations and motions that we may only see once or twice a year," Fitzgerald told Inside NU. "But the fact that we're getting those reps in spring ball and fall camp is huge for us."

That preparation will be tested quickly. Northwestern lost three of its top four pass rushers from a defense that allowed 19.8 points per game in 2025, ranking 23rd nationally, according to the Tribune. Aidan Hubbard (7.5 sacks) is on the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad, Anto Saka (3 sacks) transferred to Texas A&M and Carmine Bastone (2.5 sacks) graduated.

Fitzgerald and fellow defensive captain, graduate student linebacker Braydon Brus, will anchor a unit facing a schedule ESPN ranks 17th-toughest nationally and third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan.

The Wildcats open the season Saturday, Sept. 5 against South Dakota State.