CLEMSON — In 2016, the only thing Georgia eighth-graders feared more than pre-algebra tests was lining up against the undefeated Grayson Middle School football team.

The championship-winning squad featured the backfield talents of quarterback Ian Schieffelin, who was hovering several inches above other players on the field, and running back Phil Mafah, who juked defenders all the way back to third-period geography class.

While Mafah punished linebackers with his physicality, Schieffelin directed the offense with confidence. He fired screen passes to receivers, connected on deep play-action bombs for touchdowns, and even occasionally took off running for crucial first downs. Defenders were not quite sure what to do with the now-six-foot-eight signal-caller.

After all, they were only 13.

“Honestly (Schieffelin) kind of reminded me of (former Pro-Bowler) Phillip Rivers,” Mafah told The Clemson Insider recently. “He was just that guy. He was chill, never got too high, never got too low. He was a great competitor.” 

The pair’s history on the field started years before their storied eighth-grade season, however. Mafah and Schieffelin spent years as rivals in Grayson’s youth football league, meeting up in the championship game in two consecutive seasons.

After claiming the coveted title and a stint as basketball teammates (Mafah said they found less success on the hardwood), the pair went their separate ways. Schieffelin focused on basketball, finishing his senior year at Grayson High with a double-double average and leading his team to a Regional Championship as a sophomore.

Mafah, meanwhile, became the centerpiece of the varsity football team, leading Grayson to a 2020 state title, the program’s first since 2016.

After Mafah and Schieffelin etched their names into banners at Grayson, they traveled two hours up I-85 to begin their respective collegiate careers at Clemson– Schieffelin as a power forward under coach Brad Brownell, and Mafah as a running back for coach Dabo Swinney.

“It was awesome to have two dudes from the same town go to the same school for different sports…the type of competition that came out of Grayson and just showed the younger kids that you can make it to the big stage and a great university, like Clemson, if you set your mind to it,” Mafah said. “I feel like it impacted a lot of the youth here in Gwinnett County and the Grayson area.”

The pair continued to inspire Georgia’s youth with immediate success at Clemson. By the end of his four-year career as a Tiger, Mafah notched the ninth-most rushing yards by a Clemson player (2,887) and tied for 10th in career rushing touchdowns (28). 

Schieffelin was awarded second-team All-ACC honors his senior year after averaging 12.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. His junior year, he helped lead his program to its second-ever Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 

After completing parallel careers in Tiger Town, it was time for a new chapter for both athletes.

In April of 2025, Mafah was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft  by the Dallas Cowboys, and Schieffelin entered the transfer portal, in an attempt to gain one more year of basketball eligibility.

Then came the surprise that no one, including Mafah, expected.

On May 2, Schieffelin announced after extensive conversations with Clemson’s football coaching staff, he would use his last year of eligibility to play tight end for the Tigers. Eight years after his reign as middle school quarterback, the “Chef” was returning to the gridiron.

Mafah, like many Clemson fans, thought the news was a joke at first.

“I saw him one time on campus and he talked to me about it,” he said. “I thought he was just playing, honestly. When it actually came out, I texted him and gave him my support because I grew up with him. I see the type of dude he is, the type of competitor he is. I told him ‘set your mind to it and I think you can do anything.’”

While the transition from basketball to football at the college level is no easy task, Mafah believes Schieffelin is up for the challenge, football hiatus aside.

“I think his experience playing basketball and football in middle and high school will help him.” he said. “He knows what it takes. Basketball is a sport where you have to be committed and I really feel that’s what you need. He has all the attributes to be a great athlete in whatever he chooses to do. The mindset, and the willingness and want to to get better and continue to learn and grow, I believe he has that and I believe that he can do whatever he puts his mind to.”

Since making his announcement, Schieffelin has already demonstrated that commitment. In June, he was spotted getting some one-on-one work with Swinney at Clemson’s  annual high school camp, focusing on footwork and other essential football fundamentals.

“It is not as if he has never played the game,” Swinney said. “So, to me, I think that is what you should do. Then you focus on creating a role for yourself. You become great in that role and have an unbelievable experience at Clemson, and you will be a national story.

“All of these pro scouts know who you are as a basketball player. There are a lot of basketball traits that translate to football.”

The road to becoming a tight end in four months will be challenging. But according to Mafah, Schieffelin’s athletic background and work ethic make him a strong candidate to successfully make the leap.

Clemson fans will have the chance to watch Schieffelin in action for the first time on Aug. 30, when the Tigers kickoff their season against LSU at Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

Although this will be the Tigers’ first season in three years without Mafah, Clemson will still have a Grayson, Ga., middle school legend in orange and purple.