Kstate

Three-Star Red Oak (TX) DL Talks Kansas State Offer

Three-star defensive lineman Johnnie Fitzgerald received an offer from K-State in September, and the new regime continues to make him a priority. He competed at the Under Armour Dallas camp on Sunday.
Julio Gonzales, Jr.|
Kansas State defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt, Johnnie Fitzgerald, and his family during a home visit.
Kansas State defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt, Johnnie Fitzgerald, and his family during a home visit. | @JFITZ_III/ X.com

2027 three-star Red Oak (TX) defensive lineman Johnnie Fitzgerald received an offer from Kansas State on September 3, after speaking with defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt. That was from the previous regime, but head coach Collin Klein and the Wildcats’ staff have continued their pursuit of Fitzgerald, which included a home visit in late January.

“Coach Wyatt came out for a home visit to see me, and met all my family. It went great, he is a great guy and coach, and when he came out, it was a snow day, so that stood out to me,” Fitzgerald said. “They have been recruiting me hard all year, and with the new head coaching change, they kept me in the loop. I felt like I was a top priority for them.”

His recruitment

Fitzgerald is rated a three-star recruit. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the No. 1108 overall prospect nationally, the No. 110 defensive lineman, and the No. 134 player in Texas. He finished 2025 with 24 tackles, 14 quarterback hurries, three tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup, and a forced fumble for the Hawks and was named a 7-5A First Team All-District selection.  

In addition to K-State, he also has offers from Texas Tech, San Diego State, Incarnate Word, Baylor, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, SMU, UTSA, Memphis, Kansas State, UTEP, Syracuse, Mississippi State, Arkansas, North Texas, UNLV, Western Kentucky, Rice, and Houston.

“My recruitment is going pretty well. I am just really focusing on building relationships with coaches, because that is really important to me.”  

The offers from SMU and North Texas hit differently and mean something more for Fitzgerald. His father, Johnnie, was a running back and safety for the Mustangs from 2003 to 2006 and was a captain his senior season. His uncle, Casey, was a wide receiver for the Mean Green from 2005 to 2008 and is in the North Texas Hall of Fame.

“They are both great programs. I used to go to the games when I was a kid, so it’s crazy to think now they are recruiting me. SMU is doing some amazing things. The defensive line there is top-notch, and the staff is great there. The North Texas coaching staff is new, and both the old staff (now at Oklahoma State) and the new staff are still reaching out to me.”

The offseason and other schools in the mix

Fitzgerald took a break from his regular offseason schedule on Sunday as he was at the Under Armour camp in Dallas.

“I have been spending a lot of time in the weight room and preparing for my senior season. But this camp went really well, and I enjoyed competing in it. There was some great competition and a lot of talent there in Dallas.”

He has yet to schedule any official visits, but is in the process of finalizing those, and has an idea of where he will be going. Fitzgerald attended the Texas Longhorns Junior Day on January 18, and they are one school that is currently standing out.  

“I am finishing up where I am planning to go visit, I just don’t want to rush my decision. But, Texas, K-State, Arkansas, and Pittsburgh are some schools that are standing out right now.

Look for the Wildcats to be one of the programs Fitzgerald will be taking an official visit to, due to his relationship with Coach Wyatt and the new staff, making him a priority.

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Julio Gonzales, Jr.
JULIO GONZALES, JR.

Julio Gonzales Jr. is from Lubbock, Texas, and graduated from Lubbock Christian University. He is a writer for Kansas State On SI. He has previously written for Mike Farrell Sports and Rivals. There, he covered recruiting for JUCO Football, UTSA, Texas Tech, and SMU. He continues to cover recruiting on his Sports Madness page on Substack. You can reach him at:jrgonzales213@gmail.com.

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