CLEMSON — One guy who is not surprised to see Ian Schieffelin turn his attention to Clemson football is his former head coach.

Clemson Men’s Basketball coach Brad Brownell told a crowd at IPTAY’s Road Show in Greenville Thursday night that Schieffelin has a love for football that goes back to his younger days when he played football at Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga.

Schieffelin, and Clemson Football, made it official Friday that the former basketball star is now a member of the football team and will play for the Tigers this coming season.

According to NCAA rules, once a student-athlete has used up their eligibility in one sport, they are free to pursue other sports as long as they still have remaining eligibility within their five-year window. Schieffelin, who lettered four years for Brownell’s basketball team, still has one year remaining to pursue football in his five-year window.

“He does have a love for football, and he has always had that from when he played as a kid.  And he loves Clemson,” Brownell said. “The one thing about Ian Schieffelin is he loves Clemson.

“So, the chance to stay in Clemson, I know is very appealing to him.”

Schieffelin, who earned All-ACC second team honors this past basketball season, will play tight end for Dabo Swinney’s Tigers.

“He is an unbelievable competitor, and he is a much better athlete than everybody thinks,” Brownell said. “That is the rub. Even coaches that coach against him do not realize he is so strong. His legs are huge. He is powerful, and he is a great jumper.

“He is probably a little faster. If you time him in the forty (yard dash). He is a little faster than most people think. I think he will run under a five. I hope he can get in that 4.8 range for you.”

Brownell did have one message for Clemson football fans in regard to his former player.

“Everybody needs to realize that he is making a major sacrifice because, and I don’t know if he is an NBA basketball player, but he can make a lot of money overseas playing basketball,” he said.

Schieffelin has not played football since his days at Grayson High School. He played eighth-grade football at Grayson with former Clemson running back Phil Mafah, who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys last week in the NFL Draft.

“I’m excited about Ian’s addition,” Swinney said in a prepared statement from the athletic department. “He is a great competitor with high level success at the college level. He has elite football measurables that I believe will translate well. I’m looking forward to helping him transition and build a football foundation that will give him a chance to not only help us at Clemson but also give him a chance to play pro football.”

Schieffelin spent the first four years of his five-year collegiate clock as a central figure for some of the most successful basketball teams in Clemson history. The forward helped the Tigers to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his final two seasons, starting all 70 of Clemson’s games in that span.

He concluded his career as one of 47 1,000-point scorers in program history and finished ranked seventh in program history in career rebounds. As a senior last season, Schieffelin earned second-team All-ACC honors in contributing to the Tigers’ program-record 27 wins.

In 2024, he was named as the ACC’s Most Improved Player, posting a double-double in his first career NCAA Tournament appearance as Clemson went on to earn its first Elite Eight appearance since 1980.