Brad Fitzgibbon looks back on Kansas trip, ready for official visits

Brad Fitzgibbon got a taste of the Kansas football program, and he will get a closer look when he returns for an official visit in June.

Fitzgibbon, a defensive lineman from Marist High in Illinois, watched the team practice in spring football.

“It was fast paced, well planned, with high energy,” Fitzgibbon said. “There isn’t a single wasted second and the guys look engaged 100% of the time. I like to watch the body language of the guys standing around and usually you can pick out a few guys on the sideline who might have their heads somewhere else but not at that practice. Everyone looked happy to be playing football. It was awesome.”

Kansas offered Fitzgibbon a scholarship earlier this year and defensive tackles coach Jim Panagos has been working as the lead recruiter.

He watched how Panagos works with his group in practice and built a good relationship with him. The visit gave him another opportunity to meet with Panagos.

“Coach P loves coaching and loves football,” he said. “You know he wants to make you into the best football player you can be but also the best person after football. As you visit schools and talk to coaches, you start to hear the same sales pitch, but Coach P shows that he means it and lives by it.

“He makes you feel how much he cares. We talked about everything but mostly he wanted anything on my mind answered. He wanted me to leave with no questions left unanswered.”

Fitzgibbon visited Kansas for a football game last season. The recent trip gave him a look at the program from another angle.

“Last time I was there I saw the game day experience, so this time was totally different,” he said. “I was able to see campus, spend time with some players, spent a lot of time talking to the coaches, drove through campus and the surrounding areas. I also got to talk with the academics team, so it was all super informative and helped me envision myself there.”

Fitzgibbon has been to Kansas, Missouri, Michigan State, Iowa, and Wisconsin during the spring. He has official visits set with Kansas and Michigan State.

“I’m not going to take official visits unless I see myself with the coaching staff and on that campus,” he said. “It’s not fair to waste the universities and the coaches time and money.”

He wants to find the right fit and has met with several coaches over the last couple months. He said he will know when he finds the right fit. Fitzgibbon has several factors that are important as he narrows down his list.

“You definitely get that feeling when you’re on certain campuses,” he said. “There’s ones within 10 minutes, I say to myself ‘nope, this isn’t it.’ And then other ones you can see yourself on the field practicing so that is super important. Also, the chemistry with the coaches, the culture of the team, and their academic support.”