Bryce Fitzgerald has been named to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list, putting Miami’s sophomore ball hawk in the early national race to be recognized as college football’s top defensive back.
A six-interception freshman season made Fitzgerald a natural fit for the honor. He tied for second among all FBS players in the category before Miami Athletics published the selection Wednesday. He appeared in all 16 games, made four starts and earned Freshman All-America recognition from the Football Writers Association of America.
The interception total explains the attention, but Fitzgerald’s next step cannot be measured only by takeaways. He finished 2025 with 16 tackles, eight passes defended, one tackle for loss and one sack. A larger role will ask him to handle more formation recognition, open-field tackling and communication before the ball ever reaches him.
Fitzgerald produced his clearest national moment at Texas A&M in Miami’s first College Football Playoff victory. He intercepted two passes, including a takeaway in the end zone with less than two minutes remaining. The play protected Miami’s lead and turned his anticipation into one of the defining images of the postseason run.
Justice Sandle of Miami Hurricanes On SI added Fitzgerald to a growing tracker of Hurricanes receiving preseason award attention. Miami already has prominent names on lists for offensive, defensive and coaching honors. Fitzgerald’s place stands out because he reached it after only four college starts.
The combination creates excitement and risk. Six interceptions can make every quarterback look like another opportunity, yet the best safeties do not chase the football at the expense of the defense. They disguise leverage, arrive under control and keep routine completions from becoming explosive gains. Fitzgerald must preserve the instincts that made him dangerous while becoming more dependable snap to snap.
Miami’s secondary gives him room to grow without carrying every coverage. OJ Frederique, Xavier Lucas, Damari Brown and Ethan O’Connor provide experience around him. A deeper group can let defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman vary personnel and move Fitzgerald into positions where his range becomes harder for quarterbacks to identify.
The Thorpe Award also has a direct Miami connection. Bennie Blades won it in 1987, the award’s second year. Fitzgerald does not need to imitate Blades to make the history relevant. He has a chance to add a modern chapter by becoming the kind of versatile defensive back who can survive spread formations, tackle in space and still punish late throws.
Watch lists are built to be broad in August. Fitzgerald will have to turn the nomination into weekly evidence, starting Sept. 4 at Stanford. Opponents now have a season of film showing how quickly he closes on the ball, and some will try to manipulate that aggression with double moves and eye discipline.
Fitzgerald earned the attention with production that no freshman accident could explain away. The award race will test whether he can combine those takeaways with a complete season as a larger part of Miami’s defense. Six interceptions opened the national conversation. Consistent, disciplined play can keep him in it through November.
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