Carson James Schwesinger ( ; born February 24, 2003) is an American professional football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). Schwesinger played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, where he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Early life Schwesinger was born on February 24, 2003, in Moorpark, California. He attended Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California, and was an unranked recruit. He committed to play college football for the UCLA Bruins, joining the team as a walk-on.
College career At UCLA, Schwesinger played 26 games in his first three collegiate seasons from 2021 to 2023, recording 27 tackles, with three being for a loss, and a sack. Heading into the 2024 season, he was named one of the team captains. In week ten of the 2024 season, Schwesinger notched 13 tackles, a sack, and two pass deflections, as he helped UCLA to a 27–20 win against Nebraska. In week 11, He tallied seven tackles along with two interceptions, as he helped the Bruins to a win over Iowa. For his performance versus the Hawkeyes, Schwesinger was named the Big Ten Conference defensive player of the week. For his performance during the 2024 season, Schwesinger was named a semifinalist for both the Butkus Award and the Burlsworth Trophy.
Professional career
2025 Schwesinger was selected with the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. In Week 8 against the New England Patriots, he recorded his first career interception on a pass from Drake Maye. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for November. Schwesinger started 16 games as a rookie, leading the team with 156 tackles, which was sixth in the league, along with 2.5 sacks, three passes defensed, and two interceptions. On January 3, 2026, Schwesinger was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a quad injury. He was named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team for the 2025 season. Schwesinger won Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2025 NFL season. He was ranked 93rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026.
Personal life Schwesinger is a Christian. He was baptized in June 2026.
Career statistics
NFL Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD 2025 CLE 16 16 156 67 89 2.5 11 2 16 8.0 9 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 2026 CLE 3 3 26 9 17 0.0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Career 19 19 182 76 106 2.5 13 2 16 8.0 9 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
College Legend Led NCAA Division I FBS Bold Career high
Year Team GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg TD PD FF FR Yds TD 2022 UCLA 13 15 13 2 0.0 0.5 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0 2023 UCLA 13 12 6 6 1.0 2.0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0 2024 UCLA 12 136 90 46 4.0 8.5 2 13 6.5 0 3 1 0 0 0 Career 38 163 109 54 5.0 11.0 2 13 6.5 0 3 1 0 0 0
References
External links Cleveland Browns bio UCLA Bruins bio