James Skalski

Returning team captain who enters 2021 credited with 210 career tackles (16.0 tackles for loss), 7.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries (one he returned 17 yards for a touchdown) and a forced fumble in 1,222 snaps over 56 games (25 starts) in his career … his 56 career games played entering 2021 are already tied for ninth-most in school history … is the only player ever to play in five ACC Championship Games. 


2020: Second-team All-ACC honoree … also earned second-team all-conference nod from PFF … voted as a permanent team captain … credited with 44 tackles (3.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery he returned 17 yards for a touchdown in 291 snaps over nine games (eight starts) … recorded three tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup in one half of play at Wake Forest … scored first career touchdown on a 17-yard fumble return and added two tackles vs. The Citadel, collecting team defensive player of the game honors … credited by the coaching staff with 13 tackles and a pass breakup vs. Virginia … credited with five tackles including a half-sack vs. No. 7 Miami, sharing team defensive player of the game honors … contributed four tackles and a pass breakup at Georgia Tech … missed three games over five weeks but returned to action vs. Pitt, contributing six tackles (one for loss) … made one tackle in limited action at Virginia Tech … posted five tackles and a sack in ACC Championship Game vs. No. 2 Notre Dame … added five tackles vs. No. 3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.


2019: Finished second on the team with 105 tackles (7.5 for loss), 4.5 sacks, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 699 snaps over 15 games (all starts) … All-ACC Academic selection … recorded eight tackles (0.5 for loss), a half-sack and a pass broken up vs. Georgia Tech … added three tackles and a fumble recovery vs. No. 12 Texas A&M … posted seven tackles including a career-high 1.5 sacks at Syracuse … led Clemson with nine tackles and shared team defensive player of the game honors vs. Charlotte … recorded seven tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup and contributed to the game-winning stop on a two-point conversion attempt at North Carolina … contributed five tackles vs. Florida State … credited with a team-high 10 tackles including a sack at Louisville … added six tackles against both Boston College and Wofford … recorded six tackles (two for loss) and a pass breakup at NC State, sharing team defensive player of the game honors … led team with eight tackles vs. Wake Forest … added five tackles at South Carolina … led Clemson with 10 tackles vs. No. 22 Virginia in ACC Championship Game and also shared team special teams player of the game honors … contributed a half-sack among his nine tackles in the Fiesta Bowl vs. No. 2 Ohio State … posted six tackles, a sack and a pass breakup vs. No. 1 LSU.


2018: Played 38 snaps over four games while redshirting, recording 10 tackles (1.0 for loss) … recorded six tackles, including one for loss, at Georgia Tech as starting linebacker Kendall Joseph missed the contest with an injury … posted two tackles against Pitt … added two tackles in National Championship Game vs. No. 1 Alabama.


2017: All-ACC Academic selection … had 37 tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and two quarterback pressures in 174 snaps over 14 games (two starts) … averaged a tackle every 6.7 snaps, third on the team (minimum 100 snaps) … had three tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in seven snaps at No. 14 Louisville on Sept. 16 … had a tackle and kickoff against Wake Forest on Oct. 7 … had two tackles in 11 snaps against Georgia Tech on Oct. 28; named team co-defensive player-of-the-game … had three tackles in four snaps against Florida State on Nov. 11 … had a team-high nine tackles and tackle for loss in 36 snaps against The Citadel on Nov. 18; was his first career start; named team defensive player-of-the-game … had a team-tying-high six tackles in 36 snaps at South Carolina on Nov. 25 … had three tackles and 0.5 sacks in 32 snaps against No. 7 Miami (Fla.) in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 2 … had three tackles in 25 snaps against No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.


2016: Produced 14 tackles in 20 snaps in 14 games … more than half (eight) of his tackles came on special teams … appeared in first collegiate game at Auburn, registering a tackle … special teams player of the game against Boston College, he had a tackle on kickoff coverage … had four tackles, including two on special teams and one for loss, in nine active snaps against Syracuse … tallied special teams stop at Wake Forest … had two tackles on special teams in win over South Carolina … assisted on a coverage tackle in the Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State.


Before Clemson: Outstanding all-around athlete … standout on the football field and the soccer field … will leave Northgate High as the school’s most decorated athlete … named first-team all-state as a linebacker and second-team all-state as a punter … Region 4-AAAAA Defensive Player of the Year … named the MVP of the Newnan area … led the team in tackles with 170, 33 of which were tackles for loss … had 11 sacks, three caused fumbles, two caused fumbles and an interception … had a pair of defensive touchdowns as well … handled the punts and had over a 40-yard average … also handled kickoffs and was second-team all-region kicker as well … also running back at times for Northgate team that finished 12-2, most wins in school history … also a three-year starter in soccer … actually played football and soccer at the same time during the fall of 2013 … played his high school football for Tommy Walburn … selected Clemson over offers from Louisville and South Carolina … recruited by Mike Reed and Brent Venables.


Personal: Born Feb. 2, 1998 … his sister, Brenna, played softball at Georgia State … father played football for two years at Oklahoma … graduated in December 2019 with a degree in communication … three-time ACC Honor Roll selection.



*Courtesy Clemson Media Guide