With Clemson taking a commanding lead early in its blowout win over North Carolina, Dabo Swinney was able to get his reserves a lot of work.

One of the beneficiaries of that was former basketball star Ian Schieffelin, who joined the Tigers’ tight end room back in the summer. The staff dialed up a jet sweep for Schieffelin about midway through the second quarter, giving the big man his first career reception at the collegiate level.

“It was well-designed,” Swinney said. “We had already hit them on a couple of double-move type plays, so they played really, really soft. We had it well blocked on the perimeter, we just never got him to the perimeter.”

Left tackle Tristan Leigh missed a block on the play, allowing North Carolina’s Smith Vilber to get into the backfield and make the tackle, dropping Schieffelin for a one-yard loss.

“We did not block it like we needed to up front,” Swinney added. “We just overreached the guy, and the guy ran underneath our tackle, and he never really got a chance. It was there.”

Schieffelin logged eight snaps during the contest, giving him his most significant action of the season. It was only fitting that his first career catch came in Chapel Hill, where Schieffelin posted a double-double against the Tar Heels back in February of 2024, helping Clemson secure just its second win in program history in the Dean Dome.

“Hey, he got a touch in Chapel Hill,” Swinney said. “Good things happen when The Chef touches the ball in Chapel Hill. Good to see him get in there, and he got to play some in the fourth quarter. Got some good tape where he got a chance to just play some ball.”

Photo courtesy of Bob Donnan-Imagn Images