Jim Fitzgerald keeps Penn State No. 65 in spotlight as 2026 opener vs. Marshall nears

Penn State football is about two months from its 2026 home opener, and the program has a familiar figure close to the front of its countdown story. In a preseason look at the days until kickoff, Jim Fitzgerald, a redshirt senior, is highlighted as the player expected to wear No. 65 for the Nittany Lions when they open at home against Marshall, with kickoff described as about 65 days away from publication.

Fitzgerald’s name has earned a place in Penn State’s current conversation because of how his playing time has accumulated over his career so far. According to the reporting tied to the jersey-number countdown, Fitzgerald has played in three total games across his time in Happy Valley. The distribution matters, because it reflects both opportunity and the way depth chart changes can ripple across an offensive line season.

The clearest snapshot of how those chances came about begins in 2022. Fitzgerald, then a freshman, saw snaps late in the season when Penn State was dealing with major injuries along the offensive line on its way to the Rose Bowl. The article describes him as appearing in late-season wins during that stretch, framing that period as a key entry point into game action.

Since then, Fitzgerald’s path has been more limited but not erased. The same countdown report says that Fitzgerald has appeared in one game since the 2022 season, with the most recent appearance occurring last season. That kind of intermittent production is common for linemen in major college programs, where continuity, practice performance, and health determine who gets reps when the season turns.

The backdrop to Fitzgerald’s role in this specific countdown is bigger than one jersey. Penn State is entering the 2026 season under a new head-coaching era, and the roster picture is described across preseason coverage as undergoing major change. In that environment, a veteran like Fitzgerald becomes more than a trivia answer. He is a visible reference point for how the program plans to balance experience with the demands of an overhauled lineup.

Penn State’s early-season stakes also add weight to the moment. The 2026 schedule opener is set for Sept. 5 versus Marshall at Beaver Stadium, which means the home debut becomes an early measuring stick for how quickly the new roster identity gels. For Fitzgerald, the No. 65 assignment is a small marker, but it also underscores the reality that offensive line depth often gets tested long before any broader narrative settles in.

Over the next several weeks, what to watch is not a single game result, but preparation details that determine how linemen are used once the season starts. If Fitzgerald is again positioned as a steady option for the coaching staff, it would align with the way earlier injuries created his most meaningful snaps. If he’s moved into a different role, it would report that Penn State’s offseason reshaping has produced a clearer pecking order. Either way, the story of No. 65 is, for now, a study in patience and timing at a program where reps are never guaranteed.