Ian Schieffelin is still an athlete for Clemson University; he’s just looking to trade in his sneakers for a helmet and pads.
Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney has always dreamed about having Schieffelin suit up for the Tigers, and now, the 6-foot-8-inch, 240-pound former power forward and fan favorite for Clemson’s basketball team may be able to grant Swinney his wish.
Out of basketball eligibility after four seasons, Schieffelin still entered his name into the transfer portal following Clemson’s loss in the NCAA tournament. Turns out, he may only transfer across the parking lot from Littlejohn Coliseum to Death Valley.
Ian was looking for ways to secure a fifth year of college eligibility, but with basketball no longer an option, it appears he wants to pick up the sport he stopped playing after his sophomore year at Grayson High School in Georgia. How such a transition would work out is yet unseen, but nobody can deny the big potential it brings to the Clemson football team. Literally.
Schieffelin would play tight end for Clemson, and if the move comes to fruition, would join an inexperienced but talented group led right now by Olsen Patt-Henry and Josh Sapp with freshmen Christian Bentancur and Logan Brookins also in the mix. But with his huge frame and physicality, Schieffelin is a potential match-up nightmare for opposing secondaries.
“He could play whatever he wanted to play,” Swinney previously opined. “He would be unbelievable at left tackle, but he wouldn’t want to play that. He’d want to be at one of those sexy positions. Schief would want to be a (defensive end) or a tight end. I’ll definitely have a spot (for him).”
Dabo Swinney
How prophetic those words might be.
While nothing is officially official yet, Ian Schieffelin has already changed the profile photo on his social media accounts to a picture of him playing football back in high school. That would seem to allude to an athletic career change, even if it is only one year.
Either way, it would seem big things are cooking within the Clemson football program right now and Ian Schieffelin is stirring the pot of possibilities for Swinney and the Tigers.
