What To Expect From Clemson Forward-Turned Tight End Ian Schieffelin

There have been numerous athletes who have used their talents on the hardwood to transition into a position in football, and the Clemson Tigers now have theirs in tight end Ian Schieffelin. 

An All-ACC forward under head coach Brad Brownell, Schieffelin made a shocking switch with an extra year of eligibility, going across the street to join head coach Dabo Swinney’s squad for a final year at Clemson. 

While fall camp is set to begin in a few weeks, the team hasn’t seen the Atlanta native work in full pads just yet. However, when Clemson coaches spoke to the media on Tuesday, many noted the role that he may play next season.

Tight ends coach Kyle Richardson is no stranger to seeing former basketball players in his position room, having a strong base to use with Schieffelin. 

“Obviously, happy to have Schieff and from a standpoint of his athleticism because you’ve seen him on the basketball court,” Richardson said on Tuesday. “Pretty much all of the guys in my room have played basketball in some capacity throughout high school, but not at this type of level.”

Richardson’s advice to his new addition was simple: “blend in, see how the guys work, and try to replicate that.” That caught the eye of Swinney, who is enjoying the transition that Schieffelin is having.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “I think he’s blended in great with the guys. He’s going to be in my senior meeting, which is kind of weird. I have no idea. I do know he’s as advertised.”

The uncertain variable that the coaches have is the fact that Schieffelin’s actions on the football field have not been seen since high school, playing football at Grayson High School before fully focusing on basketball. However, it’s the 6-foot-8 frame that the coaches see as something of great value. 

“At the end of the day, from a football standpoint, I’m not sure what you’re getting,” Richardson said. “I know what you’re getting from the size of a body and athleticism of watching him play basketball all these years. Also, I know what I get from a mindset. Coach Brownell does a great job with his program, with his culture and how he pushes those guys.”

With the way that he played for four years at Littlejohn Coliseum, Swinney likes his gritty, physical play style.

“He’s athletic, he’s got natural ball skills, I thought he would,” he said. “The guy has been high-pointing balls against 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9, 7-footers, and now he’s high-pointing balls against 6-foot-2 guys, that should be an advantage.”

With the departure of starter Jake Briningstool, it remains uncertain who will be the starter going into Week 1. Olsen Patt-Henry is the frontrunner to be Briningstool’s successor, but redshirt junior Josh Sapp and redshirt freshman Christian Bentancur could see snaps at the position as well. 

Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley will measure Schieffelin’s use by how much that “he can handle.”

“I think, how much, a lot of it is going to be what he can handle and what makes sense for us, because we have a lot of really good players around him, so that will be the fun part for us as coaches,” Riley said. 

A Clemson fan-favorite on the hardwood, including a frame that provides for matchup nightmares, only time will tell what Schieffelin can do at Memorial Stadium. 

“He might catch the game winner of the national championship this year, I have no idea,” Swinney said. “I’m just excited to get to work with him, evaluate him, and then I can see what we need to do.”

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