CLEMSON — One of the biggest stories of the offseason has been the addition of Ian Schieffelin to the Clemson football team.
After starring for Brad Brownell’s Tigers on the hardwood for the past four years, Schieffelin has decided to use his final year of eligibility on the gridiron. The 6-foot-8, 240-pounder will join Kyle Richardson’s tight ends room.
Schieffelin’s athleticism for a player of his size has led some to have lofty expectations, and no doubt, he brings a unique set of skills to the group. However, at this early stage, even those inside the building aren’t yet sure what reasonable expectations should be.
“I don’t know,” Richardson said during Clemson Football’s Media Outing at the Allen Reeves Football Complex on Tuesday. “Basketball in the summer looks different than football in the summer. We don’t get to go practice with the guys like in spring ball. Basketball is more hands-on in the summer because of the way their season is.”
Schieffelin was still playing basketball when the Tigers were going through spring practice, meaning Richardson has yet to see him in a helmet and pads.
“I know what he brings to the table from a size standpoint,” Richardson added. “I know what he brings to the table with athleticism, watching him play basketball. But I haven’t been able to work with him as a football player, so I don’t know what he can do as a football player.”
Schieffelin is not new to football, but has not played since his early high school years at Grayson (Loganville, GA), where he played with former Clemson running back Phil Mafah, meaning there is a foundation already in place. However, there is a huge jump from high school football to the collegiate level, and an even bigger one for a player like Schieffelin, who has not played in years.
How much his ability to excel on the hardwood translates to the gridiron is yet to be determined, but if anyone is capable of making the switch, it is Schieffelin. When it comes to exactly how much he will contribute, that is another unknown. The one thing that is certain, he will certainly have the opportunity.
“I know that I am going to coach him the same way I coach the rest guys in the room and have the same sense of urgency,” Richardson said. “But the other side of that is he’s got to have the same sense of urgency, too. And what does he want out of this opportunity? I am excited about having him, but expectations, I don’t know. We have to go play football. He’s got to slowly groom himself into that. Day one of football practice is going to look a little different than day one of basketball practice, with the helmet, the pads, so there is a lot of adjustment that he has to make that has nothing to do with football plays, those types of things.”
Photo courtesy of Dawson Powers