The Chef is cooking up a second course this fall in the Valley.Ian Schieffelin and Clemson made it official Friday: one of the most successful players in the history of Tigers’ men’s basketball will join the football team as a tight end.“I’m excited about Ian’s addition,” Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney said. “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 told ESPN that Swinney reached out two weeks ago with an offer to join the team.”I’ve been just training for basketball, getting ready for the next level,” Schieffelin said. “Dabo just walked me through the opportunity he was willing to give me, and it all sounded great, something I wanted to jump on. It really just sparked my interest in wanting to try, and being able to put on a Clemson jersey again was very enticing to me. “To be able to be coached by Dabo and Richardson is just a huge opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”Schieffelin, who is now listed on Clemson football’s official roster as a 6’8, 240 lbs. tight end, was an eighth-grade football teammate of former Clemson running back and recent Dallas Cowboys draft pick Phil Mafah before pursuing basketball full-time at Georgia’s Grayson High School.That decision led to an outstanding basketball career with the Tigers, highlighted by a central role in the program’s second-ever trip to the Elite Eight. He finished his career with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, starting all 70 games for the Tigers in that span. Schieffelin is one of 47 1,000-point scorers in program history and finished seventh all-time in the Clemson record books in rebounds.Schieffelin’s Clemson football arc had been teased more than once by Swinney in recent years.Last October, Swinney was asked where Schieffelin would hypothetically fit in on his football roster.”He could play tight end, D-end. He could play whatever he wanted to play. He’d be an unbelievable left tackle,” Swinney said. “I’ll definitely have a spot. We have a lot of rev share ready too if he wants to pass up wherever he’s going .”Those comments were always seen as tongue-in-cheek by Swinney, a massive basketball fan.”The call two weeks ago was very serious,” Schieffelin told ESPN, “and I thought, maybe it’s an opportunity to stay around a little longer and join a national championship contender.”

CLEMSON, S.C. —

The Chef is cooking up a second course this fall in the Valley.

Ian Schieffelin and Clemson made it official Friday: one of the most successful players in the history of Tigers’ men’s basketball will join the football team as a tight end.

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“I’m excited about Ian’s addition,” Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney said. “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 told ESPN that Swinney reached out two weeks ago with an offer to join the team.

“I’ve been just training for basketball, getting ready for the next level,” Schieffelin said. “Dabo just walked me through the opportunity he was willing to give me, and it all sounded great, something I wanted to jump on. It really just sparked my interest in wanting to try, and being able to put on a Clemson jersey again was very enticing to me.

“To be able to be coached by Dabo and [tight ends coach Kyle] Richardson is just a huge opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Schieffelin, who is now listed on Clemson football’s official roster as a 6’8, 240 lbs. tight end, was an eighth-grade football teammate of former Clemson running back and recent Dallas Cowboys draft pick Phil Mafah before pursuing basketball full-time at Georgia’s Grayson High School.

That decision led to an outstanding basketball career with the Tigers, highlighted by a central role in the program’s second-ever trip to the Elite Eight. He finished his career with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, starting all 70 games for the Tigers in that span. Schieffelin is one of 47 1,000-point scorers in program history and finished seventh all-time in the Clemson record books in rebounds.

Schieffelin’s Clemson football arc had been teased more than once by Swinney in recent years.

Last October, Swinney was asked where Schieffelin would hypothetically fit in on his football roster.

“He could play tight end, D-end. He could play whatever he wanted to play. He’d be an unbelievable left tackle,” Swinney said. “I’ll definitely have a spot. We have a lot of rev share ready too if he wants to pass up wherever he’s going [after basketball].”

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Worth a reshare today, Dabo Swinney last fall on what position Ian Schieffelin would play in football: “He’d be a tight end… D-end. He’d play whatever he’d wanna play.”pic.twitter.com/k3HJLZBJaf

— Marc Whiteman (@MarcWYFFNews4) April 30, 2025

Those comments were always seen as tongue-in-cheek by Swinney, a massive basketball fan.

“The call two weeks ago was very serious,” Schieffelin told ESPN, “and I thought, maybe it’s an opportunity to stay around a little longer and join a national championship contender.”