Back in April, not long after Ian Schieffelin had wrapped up his basketball career at Clemson, he went and participated in an NBA Draft precamp at the Portsmouth Invitational.
While the big man received a lot of positive feedback that piqued his curiosity about his future on the hardwood, there was also a different kind of opportunity that ultimately presented itself. Dabo Swinney reached out about possibly joining the football team. After some serious deliberation, Schieffelin decided to take Swinney up on his offer and is now taking part in his first fall camp as a tight end for the Tigers.
Schieffelin is not new to the sport. However, he has not played since his freshman year in high school, and he hasn’t played tight end since his eighth-grade season. For that reason, Swinney and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson had Schieffelin out at the high school camps Clemson held in June.
While it’s certainly not uncommon to see some of the current players helping out at the camps, it is a little unusual to see one taking part in some of the drills, but that is exactly what Schieffelin was doing to prepare himself for his first fall camp as he knocked off some of the rust.
“A lot of those high schoolers knew more about football than I did,” Schieffelin said on Monday from the Smart Family Media Center. “I quit before… a lot of those kids are still playing. Just being out there with coach Rich and Dabo, teaching me kind of the basics — footwork and different drills that they do. One of those things that helped me get ahead from where I already was, which was basically ground zero.”
Schieffelin was a key figure for Brad Brownell’s basketball teams over the past several years. He was always known for his tenacious work on the boards due to his physicality. Now he looks to bring that mindset to the gridiron, and after one day in pads, Schieffelin was quickly reminded just how physically challenging football can be.
“We did put on the pads today, and I will say it is physical,” he said. “It is a little different than basketball, and I would say I am a pretty physical player in basketball. Comparing it that way, every player plays like I did in basketball, so it is something I just have to get used to. Just being able to use my body because I am still a big dude and learning it.”
Since it was announced that he’d be joining the football team, speculation has run rampant regarding just what kind of impact Schieffelin can have in one season. He is joining a crowded, but fairly inexperienced tight end room that features Olsen Patt-Henry, Josh Sapp, Christian Bentancur and Logan Brooking.
Schieffelin does bring one thing to the table that none of the other guys possess. A 6-foot-7, 265-pound frame that could potentially cause headaches for opposing defenses. First things first, though. He has to soak up the playbook and learn some of the nuances that come with playing the position.
How quickly he can do those things will likely dictate what kind of impact he can have in 2025.
However, Schieffelin isn’t looking that far ahead. He is just focused on getting better one day at a time, one rep at a time. And no matter what role he is eventually asked to serve, he says he will be more than happy to oblige.
“Honestly, whatever I can do to help the team win,” Schieffelin said. “Whether it is special teams, whether I can figure out a way to just help the team there. Even if it is giving out water to all the guys, I will do it. Whatever is best for Clemson is why I am here.”
Photo courtesy of Bart Boatwright