St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is one of the more well-known football programs in the country year after year and a school that is nationally ranked every year. Ohio State is no stranger to this top South Florida team, but it’s been a while since the Buckeyes have been able to capitalize on their recruiting pipeline.
The same school that gave Ohio State Joey and Nick Bosa and Damon Arnette, The Buckeyes were also lucky to get Trevon Grimes from STA before he decided to move closer to home. Again, it’s been a few cycles since Ohio State has acquired a player with ties to St. Thomas Aquinas, and it’s not because they haven’t tried.
Top targets like Jordan Battle are the first to come to mind when it comes to Ohio State and Alabama on National Signing Day 2019, but there are plenty of other names the Buckeyes are after, further proving this school as one of the most impressive recruiting areas in the country. Ohio State would love to reopen the pipeline that has served the program well in the past but has served it less well recently.
Ohio State knows the talent that St. Thomas Aquinas produces in each recruiting class, so it won’t stop looking anytime soon. With a team that dominates the state of Florida in its search for players, it makes sense to continue trying its luck at STA, and there is already a player in the class of 2026 that the Buckeyes have offered.
Four-star athlete Judge Fitzpatrick was offered back in January 2023, so the Buckeyes have had interest in this talent for some time. A 6-foot-1, 195-pound two-way player, Fitzpatrick is currently the No. 35 player nationally and the third-best cornerback in the class of 2026 according to the 247Sports Composite. Fitzpatrick also plays receiver for St. Thomas Aquinas and is as polished as they come — though he will most likely move to defense at the next level.
Fitzpatrick has 30 offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, USC and many other notable universities and is being courted by pretty much every top university in the country. Ohio State is banking on being one of the first to get in the race, but getting him on campus is the goal for the future if they want to have a real chance.
The athleticism is clear from just looking at his film, but it’s the football IQ that really comes to the fore. Regardless of coverage, Fitzpatrick does his job and does it well. Whether it’s man coverage where he’s locked in on the outside receiver or coverage three and four where he’s unbeatable deep, Justice is in the right spots. His foot game and ability to turn his hips and run show that cross-training and playing as a receiver definitely helps him as a defensive player.
With him primed for another strong season this fall as a high school junior, the recruiting process should really pick up steam. While he already has all the offers in the bag, the 2026 cycle, which will soon become the most important, must correlate with Fitzpatrick becoming more concerned with who to attend and who is considered a top school.
Ohio State will likely make the cut, as they do with most of the top players they offer, but if the Buckeyes want any chance at getting back to St. Thomas Aquinas in the foreseeable future, they will likely need to start by paying special attention to Fitzpatrick and the other players the renowned prep team has to offer.
