Jaylon Carlies Bio
Jaylon Carlies (born September 13, 2001) is an American professional football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weighing around 227 lb (103 kg), he plays the linebacker position wearing jersey No. 57. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Early Life and Background
Jaylon Carlies was born on September 13, 2001, in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in the Orlando area. He attended West Orange High School in nearby Winter Garden, Florida, where he lettered in both football and track and field. Carlies was regarded as an elite sprinter at the high school level, showcasing speed that would later become a hallmark of his playing style.
Carlies began his football journey as a wide receiver on the West Orange High School team before eventually transitioning into a defensive role. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star recruit and ultimately decided to commit to play college football for the Missouri Tigers.
He measured 6-foot-1 at the time of his high school graduation but continued to grow into his college years, topping out just shy of 6 ft 3 in. This added size, combined with his track-and-field speed, helped shape the athletic profile that NFL scouts would later find appealing.
Path to American Football
Jaylon Carlies committed to the Missouri Tigers as a three-star recruit out of West Orange High School and joined the program as a defensive back. During his freshman season in 2020, he notched eight tackles while adjusting to the speed and physicality of the Southeastern Conference. In his sophomore season of 2021, Carlies earned his first career start in Week 2 against Kentucky, a game in which he recorded four tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble.
His continued development at Missouri made him one of the most productive Tigers defenders of his era. Carlies ultimately played in 49 games with 39 starts for Missouri, totaling 221 tackles, three sacks, 17 pass deflections, nine interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery across his college career.
Jaylon Carlies Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Jaylon Carlies began his college career with the Missouri Tigers in 2020 as a defensive back, where he recorded eight tackles during his freshman season while learning the speed of the college game. In Week 2 of the 2021 season, he earned his first career start against Kentucky and made an immediate impact with four tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. He later added two goal-line stops and an interception against the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Week 10 of that same season.
Carlies closed the 2021 campaign with 67 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a team-leading four interceptions, establishing himself as a playmaker in the Tigers secondary. His performance during these first two college seasons laid the foundation for his eventual rise as a draft prospect.
Missouri Tigers Breakthrough (2022–2023)
In the 2022 season, Jaylon Carlies finished with 81 tackles, one sack, four pass deflections, three interceptions, and a forced fumble, becoming a dependable presence in the Tigers defense. He was recognized as one of the top safeties in the Southeastern Conference heading into his senior campaign.
Carlies capped his 2023 season with a memorable performance in the Cotton Bowl, where he led the Tigers with 11 tackles as Missouri defeated Ohio State. He finished 2023 with 64 tackles, four and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, five pass deflections, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Carlies declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, closing his college career with 221 tackles, three sacks, 17 pass deflections, nine interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 49 games.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2024–Present)
Jaylon Carlies was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round with the 151st overall selection of the 2024 NFL Draft. Prior to offseason camp, the Colts announced that Carlies would shift from safety to linebacker, signaling their plans to use his athleticism in a hybrid role on defense.
During rookie training camp, the Colts followed through on their plan, and by the end of July, Carlies had risen to third on the team’s linebacker depth chart behind starters Zaire Franklin and E. J. Speed. As a rookie, he played in 10 games with six starts, recording 36 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection. On April 21, 2025, general manager Chris Ballard announced that Carlies had undergone surgery to repair a shoulder injury, and he was later activated from injured reserve on December 6 to make his 2025 season debut in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jaylon Carlies brings an exceptional blend of straight-line speed and physicality to the linebacker position, traits that trace back to his elite high school sprinting background. His ability to cover ground sideline to sideline and contribute in pass coverage makes him a valuable chess piece for the Indianapolis Colts defense.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Jaylon Carlies’s career is his 2023 Cotton Bowl performance, where he led the Tigers with 11 tackles in a win over Ohio State. He also recorded a multi-interception game as a sophomore against Kentucky and notched multiple goal-line stops against the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Being selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft marked another milestone in his rapid rise from a three-star recruit to a professional football player.
Jaylon Carlies Career Wins
While Jaylon Carlies’s career statistics primarily highlight defensive contributions rather than traditional win totals, his on-field impact has been measurable across both college and the NFL. At Missouri, he was part of winning efforts, including the 2023 Cotton Bowl triumph over Ohio State, while his rookie campaign with the Indianapolis Colts featured 36 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection.
Missouri Tigers Highlights
Jaylon Carlies wrapped up his Missouri Tigers career having played in 49 games with 39 starts, totaling 221 tackles, three sacks, 17 pass deflections, nine interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. His nine career interceptions underscore his ball-hawking instincts in the secondary. His senior-year showing in the Cotton Bowl, where he logged 11 tackles against Ohio State, stands as one of the defining performances of his college career.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his college accomplishments, Jaylon Carlies made an early impression as a professional with the Indianapolis Colts, appearing in 10 games with six starts as a rookie in 2024. He contributed 36 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection during that debut season, helping anchor the Colts linebacker corps behind veterans Zaire Franklin and E. J. Speed.
Jaylon Carlies Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Jaylon Carlies’s family background is limited. He grew up in the Orlando, Florida, area and attended West Orange High School in nearby Winter Garden, where he built the foundation for his football career.
Personal Life
Jaylon Carlies was born in Orlando, Florida, and pursued his football career through West Orange High School and the University of Missouri before turning professional with the Indianapolis Colts. Verified details about his marital status, spouse, or children are not publicly available in reliable sources.
2025 Season Performance
Jaylon Carlies’s 2025 season with the Indianapolis Colts began under difficult circumstances, as general manager Chris Ballard announced on April 21, 2025, that Carlies had undergone surgery to repair a shoulder injury. The recovery process kept him sidelined through the early portion of the schedule and placed him on injured reserve.
Carlies was activated from injured reserve on December 6, allowing him to make his 2025 season debut in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His return provided a late-season boost to a Colts linebacker corps built around Zaire Franklin and E. J. Speed.
Looking ahead, Carlies is expected to continue developing as a versatile linebacker whose elite speed and coverage ability give the Indianapolis Colts additional flexibility on defense. With his rookie contract running through 2024 and beyond, his 2025 return from injury marks an important step in establishing himself as a long-term contributor for the franchise.