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Larry Fitzgerald's son commits to Notre Dame, joining other NFL legends' children with Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have brought in yet another son of a former NFL star. 

Devin Fitzgerald — the son of Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald, who should be heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026 with his first time ballot — announced his commitment on Saturday. 

He also considered UCLA, but ultimately chose the Fighting Irish.

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Fitzgerald is ranked the 55th-best receiver in his 2026 class, per 247Sports.com. He is a three-star prospect out of Brophy Prep in Arizona. 

He won’t be the only son of a former NFL great looking to make his own mark on the game, as the Fighting Irish will be filled with the next generation.

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The receivers room alone has Jerome Bettis Jr., the son of Pittsburgh Steelers legend Jerome Bettis; Elijah Burress, whose father is Super Bowl-champion receiver Plaxico Burress; and Kaydon Finley, the son of Green Bay Packers Super Bowl-champion Jermichael Finley. 

On defense, Thomas Davis Jr., the son of ex-Carolina Panthers All-Pro Thomas Davis, also said he’s heading to South Bend in 2026.

Fitzgerald revealed to ESPN that Notre Dame offered him a scholarship in May following his junior season, where he hauled in 52 receptions for 720 yards with nine touchdowns. He also has a good relationship with Mike Brown, who he has known "since I was 5 years old."

"I’ve developed into a better ballplayer, and they really think I’m going to turn into a great player," Fitzgerald told ESPN. "…He’s shown me that I can come in, step up and play early. That’s their plan with me."

The elder Fitzgerald became a star at Pitt during his college days, as he won the Biletnikoff Award in 2003 as just a sophomore. He had over 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons as a Panther before entering the 2004 NFL Draft. 

He ended up being the third overall pick by the Cardinals, and they kept him for 17 years. Fitzgerald would go on to have 1,432 catches for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns. He also won the 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

"Having my dad there to help me throughout the recruiting process has been great," Devin Fitzgerald said of his father’s influence. "He knows what’s important."

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'Dominant' Wheeler's 1st CG since '21 lifts Phils

Veteran starter Zack Wheeler threw a one-hitter for his first complete game since 2021 in the Philadelphia Phillies' 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, improving to 9-2 after allowing only a leadoff homer to Austin Hays in the fifth inning.

AJ McLean Says Baylee Littrell Has 400 Songs Written After 'Idol' Debut

When it comes to his bandmate Brian Littrell’s son, Baylee, and his musical career, AJ McLean says the aspiring artist doesn’t need anyone’s advice.

“I mean, I’ve known Baylee since he was born,” McLean, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting Netflix’s Building the Band. “I’ve known him for 22 years of his life on this beautiful planet. He doesn’t really need any advice from any of us. If anything, I’m such a big fan.”

Baylee delighted Backstreet Boys fans when he joined the latest season of American Idol, singing both original songs and renditions of his famous father’s work. (He was one of six contestants ultimately not selected to proceed to the singing competition’s top 14 round.)

Before his elimination, Baylee sang the song “Gone Without Goodbye” from his father’s 2006 solo album, Welcome Home.

Baylee Littrell Says Singing Dad Brian's Song on 'Idol' Was 'Bittersweet'

“It means a great deal to us,” the younger singer told host Ryan Seacreast at the time. “That song is really dedicated to [the] tragedy [of] 9/11, you know, all the victims that it affected.”

Baylee went on to explain that his mother, Leighanne, was “supposed to be on the second flight” that struck the World Trade Center in September 2001.

“I feel incredibly lucky,” he continued. “It’s an emotional song. I’m just glad I got through it.”

McLean — who sang alongside Brian, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough in the beloved early aughts band — told Us that he is “always going to root” for Baylee as he takes his next, post-American Idol steps.

“Last time I was in Georgia, I was in the studio with T-Pain working on my solo project and I went to Brian’s house just to kind of kick it, and Baylee sat there and played 15 songs, all different types of music,” he continued. “I mean, he’s got a catalog of probably three to 400 songs he’s written that are all insanely good. He knows what he wants and he knows what’s right and wrong. He’s seen his dad go through it; his uncles go through it. He’s seen a lot in 22 years, but he’s in his own lane and in my mind he’s already a massive success because he is his own person.”

In an exclusive interview with Us following his elimination, Baylee opened up about his time on Idol and how difficult it was to compete as a famous Backstreet Boys’ son.

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“It was hard to make friends, and it was hard for people to understand me because a lot of people, they did have preconceived notions of how I would be,” he explained at the time. “And that’s one of the emotional parts of leaving — finally people get to see who you are. And finally we kind of set our differences aside or our assumptions of each other and all just started to bond.”

Despite the challenges, Baylee told Us he had “a great experience” on the show. And if his uncle McLean has anything to say about it, his time on the reality competition series will hardly be the last time we see the future star.

“He can sing and do anything, honestly,” McLean told Us. “I mean, he’s just beyond talented.”

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Lena Dunham Reveals Candid Reason Why She Took a Step Back From Acting

Lena Dunham is getting real about her decision to step back from pursuing acting roles.

“Having my body dissected was a reason that I chose in general to step back from acting a little bit more and focus on my writing and my directing,” Dunham, 39, told The Independent in a profile published on Saturday, July 5. “And also just make different kinds of choices as an actor.”

Dunham created and starred on HBO’s Girls from 2012 to 2017, at a time when her body and overall physical appearance were heavily criticized. Despite the backlash, Dunham always remained a fierce body-positive advocate.

“I always shudder to make big statements, but I have to say, the past two years haven’t just been the happiest years of my adult life, they’ve been the happiest years of my life,” Dunham exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2019. “And that’s not because they’ve been perfect. It’s because I now have the tools based on what I’ve been through — whether it’s losing my health or ending a long relationship, or, you know, challenges with addiction.”

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According to Dunham, managing her various challenges made her stronger in the long run.

“Learning that they don’t define me and that I actually have the tools to live a life of relative freedom has made me so much more confident, grounded, present,” she told Us. “It’s not that issues don’t come up, it’s that I have the tools to manage those issues, and that’s really what I wish for every woman. The reason I’ve been so insistent on sharing my experiences, I think, [is that] we have to be reminded again and again and again that we’re not alone.”

Dunham recently used her entire life as inspiration for Netflix’s Too Much, which is loosely based on her early courtship with husband Luis Felber. In addition to writing the scripts, Dunham was initially attached to star in the project.

“I was not willing to have another experience like what I’d experienced around Girls at this point in my life,” she wrote in a New Yorker essay published in July 2024.  “Physically, I was just not up for having my body dissected again. It was a hard choice.”

Dunham ultimately cast Hacks breakout Megan Stalter in the lead role.

“Megan is so smart and so internet-literate,” Dunham told The Independent, speculating how the 34-year-old star would handle potential body-shaming criticism when Too Much hits Netflix. “I don’t use Instagram — I write the captions, but somebody else posts them — so I’m not receiving all this online feedback. She’s so culturally alert and online that I feel like she knows what the world is offering. And what I love about her is she has such a funny, bright, ballsy way of taking it all in stride.”

Too Much premieres Thursday, July 10 on Netflix.

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