One of the biggest stories of the offseason so far regarding Clemson football has actually involved a hoops star. That's right, Ian Schieffelin has dominated headlines over the past couple of weeks in regards to Dabo Swinney's quest for another title.
Schieffelin exhausted his eligibility on the hardwood and decided to hang up the Nikes and pick up a helmet and some shoulder pads.
The former hoops star and fan favorite decided to ditch basketball and give football a try for his last year of college athletics eligibility and he's doing so as a tight end for Swinney.
It's not a move you see everyday, but Swinney has been talking about his new tight end nonstop since the news broke. And you can tell he's excited. He's wanted Schieffelin to play football for years and now that he's gotten his wish, he's heaping praise onto his new tight end.
At the ACC meetings on Monday, Swinney stopped by to talk about Schieffelin with the ACC Network and he said that he doesn't need him to win, but he's excited to be part of his story. Swinney also believes that his skills will translate.
From ACC PM last night: Dabo Swinney with an in-depth breakdown on former Clemson basketball player Ian Schieffelin’s transition to tight end: “We don’t need him to win, but I would love to be part of his story, because I really do think his skills are going to translate” pic.twitter.com/GMpJwCDO4Q
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) May 13, 2025
Swinney brings up some good points. Schieffelin is used to battling with other 6-foot-8 (or taller) guys for a rebound, but now he's going up against guys 4-5 inches shorter than him and all he's asked to do is catch the ball over them. He also has good footwork which will help in pass protection and run blocking. Swinney believes that Schieffelin can be a problem for defenses.
And he's probably right. It'll be exciting to see what kinds of mismatches he forces.
The 2025 season can't kick off soon enough.