It was easy to sense early in his recruitment.
When Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and running backs coach Tony Alford first scouted four-star offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick, they quickly saw an offensive lineman with a frame built for the next level at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds. Fitzpatrick put his pen to paper and officially became a signee of the 2022 class Wednesday, signing his National Letter of Intent.
Buckeye Nation, youre gonna like this guy.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 15, 2021
Newest member of the OL unit - @georgefitz88 #BOOM22 pic.twitter.com/W89BKDzvLC
The interest in Fitzpatrick was obvious from OSU's perspective. With his size and his frame, Fitzpatrick wasn't going to need to move inside at the next level. Rather, he'd provide the Buckeyes with a true tackle prospect, something OSU always covets.
OSU has signed three offensive linemen to this point, including Avery Henry and Tegra Tshabola in addition to the Colorado standout. Henry profiles as a tackle similar to Fitzpatrick, while Tshabola is more likely to play inside at the next level. Meanwhile, OSU is still in pursuit of four-star offensive lineman Carson Hinzman, who is down to Wisconsin and Ohio State. It is likely Hinzman won't sign until February.
The Fitzpatrick File
- Class: 2022
- Size: 6-foot-6/285 lbs.
- Pos: OT
- School: Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, CO)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 324 (26 OT)
The second-highest ranked player from the state of Colorado in the 2022 recruiting class per 247Sports' composite rankings, Fitzpatrick comes from a powerhouse program in Colorado, Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village, Colorado). With Fitzpatrick's help, Cherry Creek has won three straight state championships, going a combined 35-2 the past three seasons.
Fitzpatrick and his father did a self-guided tour of Ohio State in February before the recruiting dead period was officially lifted in June, leading George to fall in love with the campus. Both of them returned to Columbus for an official visit on June 4. They did their due diligence and continued to visit more campuses through the end of the month, but Ohio State stayed at the forefront in George’s mind.
Fitzpatrick committed to OSU on July 9, and had a very drama-free recruitment in the months that followed, one that had very little media attention. He made one fall visit to OSU, attending the game against Penn State on Oct. 30. There, he spoke with Henry at length, along with other 2022 commits. Fitzpatrick will head to Columbus in 2022 with championship expectations, standards that he met consistently in high school.
“It was a great day, for sure,” George's father Mark Fitzpatrick told Eleven Warriors shortly after his son’s commitment in July. "I don’t think he could have made a better choice,” Mark said. “Ohio State is a great destination. He picked the right place, he’ll have a chance to compete for a national championship and have a role on a successful team.”
Even though Fitzpatrick and his family grew up watching Pac 12 and other West Coast schools, the allure of Ohio State was too hard to pass up for the Fitzpatrick family.
“The coaches, the continuity and the winning tradition,” Mark Fitzpatrick said of why his son chose to play for the Buckeyes. “They have everything he wants.”
Fitzpatrick likely won't be a factor in Ohio State's 2022 depth chart, but likely will spend the year in the weight program and developing in Ohio State's offensive system.
