Marcus Freeman’s 4-Star Signee Quietly Leans Into His Father, 11x Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald’s Legacy

Jersey numbers often give us a peek into the person wearing them. So, when Notre Dame rolled out its jersey numbers for the early enrollees this spring, Devin Fitzgerald’s choice said plenty. And the 4-star WR signee made it clear he’s not running from his legacy. 

Per On3’s report on February 6, Devin Fitzgerald will wear No. 11 in South Bend. Now, that’s not a random number; there’s a lot to why the Brophy College Prep star chose it. It’s the same one his father, Larry Fitzgerald, wore for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, building a Hall of Fame career that now officially belongs in Canton. 

Larry Fitzgerald’s No. 11 is tied to 1,432 receptions, 17,492 yards, and 121 TDs. He is an 11-time Pro Bowler, Walter Payton Man of the Year, and now a first-ballot Hall of Famer alongside Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, and Roger Craig. Larry’s 2008 postseason run, capped by that late Super Bowl TD, is hard to forget. Will it have the same effect on his son at Notre Dame? 

Devin Fitzgerald knows all of that, and he has the potential to be like his father. Back in December, when he signed his national letter of intent with Notre Dame after committing months earlier, Larry Fitzgerald was there, watching him lock in the next step. 

 

“.. I love being a Fitzgerald. I just want to be known as ‘Devin’ though. Right now a lot of people know me as ‘Larry Fitzgerald’s son’. On the field I just want to be known as Devin.” – 4-star WR Devin Fitzgerald after committing to Notre Dame @NDFootball @NDrecruiting01 pic.twitter.com/uH64JIex93

— Bri Savant (@BriSavant) July 6, 2025

“It feels like a bigger Brophy, honestly,” he said of Marcus Freeman’s program. “Like a Brophy on a national scale.” 

Larry Fitzgerald didn’t steer the ship, but he definitely helped map Devin’s decision. He said his son went through the recruiting process “six different times” just to be sure. Notre Dame fit because it mirrored what Devin already knew. 

“A lot like Brophy,” Larry Fitzgerald said. “This is a unique environment. You have to earn the right. It’s a place that’s going to challenge young men. You’re going to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning for practice. You’re going to take AP courses. It’s going to be discipline-regimented. It’s not for everybody. But for him to take this challenge to do this and do the same thing in college, I’m really proud of him.”

But even after leaning into his father’s legacy, Devin still wants to carve his own path. Before committing to Notre Dame last July, Devin had a 45-minute conversation that helped frame how he thinks about legacy. He met Marvin Harrison Jr., the Cardinals’ 2024 first-round pick and son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., outside a Texas Roadhouse steakhouse in Phoenix.

Devin asked Harrison Jr. when he started feeling like his own person rather than just his father’s son. Harrison admitted it wasn’t until his final season at Ohio State that he felt he’d stepped out of that shadow. 

“The better I do on the field, and we play the same position, so comparisons are going to happen regardless,” Devin said earlier. “I have talked to Marvin Harrison Jr. about this, and he said he wasn’t Marvin Harrison Jr. He was Marvin Harrison’s son until he started balling out at Ohio State, so I’m hoping to do the same thing at Notre Dame.”

“I’m just trying to create my own legacy,” Devin told TMZ Sports last summer. “I love being a Fitzgerald, but I also just want to be known as Devin.”

And thanks to his father, Notre Dame is the place he chose to create his legacy.

Why Marcus Freeman believed Devin Fitzgerald was a natural fit

Marcus Freeman is never the one to take credit, and especially not when it’s not his doing. When Freeman met the media to discuss the Irish’s 2026 class, he credited Larry Fitzgerald for being the unofficial spokesperson of Notre Dame football for his son.

“Larry Fitzgerald probably sold Notre Dame better than I did,” he admitted. 

The staff saw a polished receiver with NFL bloodlines in Devin Fitzgerald, but they also saw someone who is wired for development. Devin Fitzgerald told ESPN that the offer came in May after a breakout junior season. His connection with WR coach Mike Brown, an NFL contemporary of his father, only strengthened the trust.  

Devin Fitzgerald finished his high school career with 149 catches for 2,125 yards and 26 TDs. He tied Brophy records for receptions and TDs, held the single-game receiving yards mark, and torched Chandler in the playoffs with 14 catches, 253 yards, and four scores. He followed that with an equally loud finale against Hamilton, posting 14 catches for 254 yards and three TDs. That’s why expectations will follow the 6’2, 205-pounder to college. 

“Just get what you want out of it,” he said. “Hard work.” 

And the stage is coming quickly for Devin Fitzgerald. Notre Dame will wrap spring practice on April 25 with the Blue & Gold Game. And when a freshman WR wearing No. 11 lines up in navy and gold, they’ll want to know if the player wearing it has the same weight as the jersey he is wearing.

The post Marcus Freeman’s 4-Star Signee Quietly Leans Into His Father, 11x Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald’s Legacy appeared first on EssentiallySports.