A former junior-college quarterback turned ball-hawking safety, Bishop Fitzgerald led the Big Ten in interceptions and earned consensus All-American honors at USC in 2025.
Bishop Fitzgerald took a winding path to college football's top level, converting from quarterback to safety at Coffeyville Community College before starring at NC State and finishing his career with a breakout, All-American season at USC. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft but quickly signed with the Titans as a free agent, giving Tennessee a proven centerfield playmaker.
Path to the league
Fitzgerald grew up in Woodbridge, Virginia, where he played quarterback at Gar-Field Senior High School. He converted to safety at Coffeyville Community College, earning KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year honors after picking off six passes as a sophomore, then transferred to NC State for the 2023 and 2024 seasons before a final-year move to USC in 2025.
Career highlights
Across two seasons at NC State, Fitzgerald totaled 97 tackles and five interceptions, establishing himself as a reliable playmaker on the back end. His one season at USC was the best of his career, as he led the Big Ten and finished second nationally in interceptions while earning consensus first-team All-American recognition, the first USC defensive back to do so since Talanoa Hufanga in 2020.
2025 season recap
In his lone year at USC, Fitzgerald led the Trojans with five interceptions, several of them coming in high-leverage red-zone situations, and earned first-team All-Big Ten and consensus All-American honors. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft despite the strong season, then signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Bishop Fitzgerald
- ESPN: Bishop Fitzgerald player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- USC
- Hometown
- Woodbridge, VA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
