Carson Schwesinger Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Keith Birmingham/Orange County Register)
School: UCLA
Class: Redshirt Junior
Position: LB
HT: 6’2
WT: 242 lbs
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Background: Carson Schwesinger was an unrecruited linebacker out of Moorpark, California. Carson received no stars or ratings in high school. He prepped at Oaks Christian School, where he played both wide receiver and linebacker. Throughout his high school career, he totaled 268 tackles and 1,670 receiving yards.
College: Schwesinger walked on to the UCLA football team in 2021. He earned Honor Roll for the fall quarter but did not see any game action. Carson played as a reserve linebacker in 2022 and 2023, totaling 27 tackles across the two seasons. Schwesinger absolutely broke out in 2024. He was a First Team All-Big 10 and First Team All-American selection after posting 136 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and 4 sacks.
Strengths: Carson Schwesinger is a linebacker with more versatility than he is given credit for. He played in a 4-3 defense at UCLA. He excelled both as a weakside linebacker and as a MIKE linebacker. As a coverage linebacker, he has excellent movement skills to stick to tight ends or running backs. He has loose hips that allow him to change directions with ease. He does well to follow the quarterback’s eyes in zone coverage and has the range to take up the entire middle of the field on his own. As a pass rusher, Schwesinger is slippery in the gaps to avoid getting into battles of strength at the phone booth. He is instinctive at the line to avoid blockers and penetrate the pocket. Schwesinger shoots the gaps with explosiveness to make plays in the run game. He is a disruptor in the backfield. Carson is not fooled by play action in the backfield and he follows the ball efficiently.
Weaknesses: Carson Schwesinger can get swallowed up in open space by run blockers. He is not able to shed blockers quickly and can get displaced. Schwesinger has shown issues as a tackler from time to time. These missed tackles are also a result over aggression. When he shoots the gap on running plays, he works past the play. He goes for the ankles too often which results in missed tackles. Schwesinger lacks the height or length that NFL teams look for from a MIKE linebacker. He may strictly be a WILL at the next level.
Conclusion: Carson Schwesinger has the tools to be a starter at the next level. He may take longer to develop due to his lack of reps throughout his time at UCLA, but he also has plenty of untapped potential.
Scheme Fits: 4-3
Ideal Role: WILL Linebacker
Best Team Fits: BAL, SEA, DAL
Player Comparison: Andrew Van Ginkel
Player Grade: Round 2 (80.0)
