Ryan Fitzgerald wins national award, talks about Kansas visit

Over the weekend the Kansas staff hosted Ryan Fitzgerald for an official visit. Fitzgerald who is one of the top kickers in the 2019 class got a late start on the trip.

On Saturday he was in Las Vegas accepting an award honoring him as the top high school kicker in the country. It is voted on by Chris Sailer and several former NFL kickers.

“To win such a prestigious award makes me feel confident in my craft,” Fitzgerald told Jayhawk Slant. “I am honored to have NFL kickers think I am the best in the nation.

“I had a fantastic snapper and holder this year that made my job a lot easier. Winning this award only makes me strive more to better my craft, and I can’t wait to see how much I can improve before my first college season.”

The Jayhawks offered a scholarship soon after special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler joined Les Mies’ staff. Fitzgerald set a visit with Kansas that started on Sunday and wrapped up on Monday.

Although it wasn’t the traditional visit where a recruit arrives on Friday and leaves on Sunday, he was able to learn a lot about the program.

“I loved the visit,” he said. “The academic support is amazing. The strength staff is awesome, and the dorms are unbelievable.”

For the time being Fitzgerald doesn’t have any future visits planned. He enjoyed his time around Ekeler and Miles on the trip.

“They are both are characters,” Fitzgerald said. “They are genuine people who I think would be fun to play for.”