2026 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Clayton Schwalbe, TE, Wisconsin-Oshkosh
- Name: Clayton Schwalbe
- Position: Tight End
- College: Wisconsin-Oshkosh
- Height: 6’2 1/2″
- Weight: 248 lbs
- X: @claytonschwalb1
- Instagram: @claytonschwalbe
Who is the NFL player you compare yourself the most to? Why is that?
I would have to say Kyle Juszczyk. He has kind of been my inspiration over the past year as I’ve been training for the NFL, specifically for a combine. His combine numbers have been my motivation while training to try and get them as close to his if not better. I know it’s not a guaranteed thing but seeing my numbers in comparison to someone who is excelling in the NFL gives me hope and motivation that I too can have an impact at the next level.
What aspects of playing in the NFL do you find to be intriguing?
Honestly it’s been a dream for the past 9 years when I started playing football as a freshman in high school. I’ve been a huge fan of the Packers growing up so I watched the NFL every Sunday. With that it’s turned into a goal of mine to see how far I can take the talents God has graciously given me. Along with that I have two high school teammates who play in the NFL currently and it would be such a cool experience to play against or even alongside them in the NFL.
In what ways have you improved since last season?
Between my junior season and my senior season I sat down and watched my film from the prior season and wrote down three things to improve on. Those were making big time plays when my team needed it most, improving my YAC (yards after contact), and becoming a more fundamentally sound blocker. I would say looking back I accomplished all three of those things, I had a game winning catch against UWRF to give them their only loss of the season, I had more catch and runs and broken tackles than the year prior, and minimized the number of missed blocks due to sound technique and hand placement.
What is your favorite memory so far as a college football player?
My favorite memory honestly wasn’t the game winning catches, crazy overtime games that ended in a win, or even my first touchdown. As I look back on my college career the thing I’m going to miss most has to be the time spent with my teammates. The sheer amount of time we spent together over the past 4.5 years has developed friendships that feel like brothers to me. I don’t think I can say there’s one memory that’s better than the rest, between every bus ride, plane ride, fall camp, or just simply having meals together the night before a game, they all led to the friendships I now will have for life.
What is the most important thing you would like NFL scouts, coaches and general managers to know about you?
I believe I am one of the most versatile players you will ever be able to scout. I can play just about any position I put my mind to, whether that’s FB, TE, special teams, long snapper, or kicker. Yes I said long snapper and kicker. While I understand it takes an elite level of athlete to play each of those positions at the NFL level and I believe my skill set is best suited for FB and special teams, what I’m trying to say is that coaches will be getting someone who will pick up on the playbook quick and learn whatever position they see best fit for me fast and seamlessly. I will come to practice everyday with an attitude towards bettering the team whether if I’m starting, second string, or practice squad. I will do whatever it takes to be the best player in my position to help make the team and players around me better.