Carson Schwesinger
Carson James Schwesinger is an American professional football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft
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 2024 [Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]. In week 11, He tallied seven tackles along with two interceptions, as he helped the Bruins to a win over 2024 [Iowa Hawkeyes football team|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
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 season|New England Patriots], he recorded his first career interception on a pass from Drake Maye. 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.