Former Clemson linebacker finds landing spot in NFL

After spending six seasons at Clemson, including three as a starting linebacker, James Skalski is getting his shot in the NFL.

Skalski has signed a free agent deal with the Indianapolis Colts, he announced on Sunday. Skalski becomes the fifth former Clemson player to be drafted or sign a free agent deal, joining Andrew Booth Jr., Baylon Spector, Mario Goodrich and Nolan Turner.

Skalski is a player Dabo Swinney described as “the heart and soul” of Clemson’s defense the past two seasons.

He made the defensive calls for the Tigers and was in charge of making sure everyone was lined up and knew their assignments.

The Georgia native was named All-ACC each of the past two seasons, earning second-team honors in 2020 and first-team honors in this past year.

“Excited for the opportunity! Keeping dreamin!” James Skalski posted on Instagram about joining the Colts organization.

In addition to being a leader on Clemson’s defense, Skalski also made more than his fair share of tackles.

Skalski had a team-high 100 tackles this past season, including 4.5 tackles for loss. He started all 13 games for the Tigers in 2021.

Skalski battled injuries in 2020 but still managed to finish with 44 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss.