Julius Welschof

Julius Welschof (born March 12, 1997) is a German professional American football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and Charlotte 49ers.

Early life Welschof was born on March 12, 1997, in Germany. He grew up in Miesbach, Bavaria, where he won youth championships in skiing. He attended the vocational high school (Fachoberschule, FOS) in Altötting and graduated from there.

After his graduation from high school, Welschof visited the United States in 2013, staying with a friend of his grandfather in Jacksonville, Florida. He was told of American football and received a suggestion that he might be good at the sport, something Welschof initially did not believe, due to being 16 years old at the time and never having played the sport. He learned of a service run by former Canadian Football League (CFL) player Brandon Collier called Premier Players International, designed to get European players opportunities in college football. Welschof contacted Collier and informed him of his measurements and ability to run a 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, then later proved his abilities to a doubtful Collier on a field covered in snow in below-freezing temperatures. Afterwards, he began receiving significant attention and received offers from a number of different programs, being ranked as the 12th-best defensive end recruit and a four-star prospect by 247Sports. He initially committed to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but later flipped to the Michigan Wolverines.

College career Welschof redshirted as a true freshman at Michigan in 2018 and then appeared in one game during the 2019 season. In 2020, he appeared in all six games and totaled six tackles along with a half-sack. Entering the 2021 season, he was named to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic's "freaks" list, highlighting the most athletic college football players.

Hoping to see more playing time, Welschof transferred to the Charlotte 49ers for his final season of college football in 2023. Joining coaches Biff Poggi and Ryan Osborn, both of whom he worked with at Michigan, Welschof won a starting role with the 49ers.

Professional career NFL predraft height ft = 6 height in = 6 5/8 weight = 257 dash = 4.82 ten split = 1.64 twenty split = 2.82 shuttle = 4.40 cone drill = 7.01 vertical = 32.5 broad ft = 10 broad in = 3 arm span = 32 1/4 hand span = 10 1/4 wingspan ft = 6 wingspan in = 7 3/4 note = All values from Pro Day He was also chosen in the second round (13th overall) of the 2024 CFL global draft by the Calgary Stampeders. He was placed on injured reserve on August 27, 2024, following a knee injury during a game in 2024 NFL preseason, and waived two days later with an injury settlement. He was re-signed to the practice squad on November 26.

Welschof signed a reserve/future contract on January 14, 2025. Welschof was waived by the Steelers on August 25, and re-signed to the practice squad. On January 14, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract.