Clemson Basketball’s Ian Schieffelin To Play Football For Dabo Swinney

Clemson Tigers power forward Ian Schieffelin is trading in his sneakers for cleats to play for Dabo Swinney’s football program.

Ian Schieffelin To Play Football

God Bless! pic.twitter.com/cflFFkGsnJ

— Ian Schieffelin (@ian_schieffelin) May 2, 2025

What started as a joke between Schieffelin and Swinney has become a reality.

Schieffelin announced on social media that he would Clemson’s football team.

Schieffelin will attempt to play tight end for the Tigers. At 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, Schieffelin would be a big target for quarterback Cade Klubnik if he finds his way onto the field.

“I’ve been just training for basketball, getting ready for the next level,” Schieffelin told ESPN. “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 up.”

Schieffelin was a four-year player on the Tigers’ basketball team, becoming a full-time starter during his sophomore season.

Schieffelin averaged a career-high 12.4 points and 9.4 rebounds in 2024. Clemson earned a No. 5 seed but lost to McNeese in the first round.

Schieffelin entered the transfer portal in hopes of earning a fifth year of eligibility. When it became unlikely he could play hoops at another school, Schieffelin started to train to play professionally before Swinney called him. Schieffelin plans to give football a shot for at least six months and then see what happens.

“I’d never rule out me going back to basketball,” Schieffelin said. “I’ll see how these next six months go, see how development goes, see if I really like playing football. But I think this is a good opportunity for the next six months.”

Clemson is looking for a starting tight end after Jake Briningstool signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Basketball Players Who Turned To Football

Panthers sign tight end Colin Grangerhttps://t.co/68k06tIlMK

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 7, 2025

While it’s tough to change sports, there have been several successful transitions from basketball to football, especially at tight end.

Tony Gonzalez played football and basketball at the University of California, Berkeley. Gonzalez chose to play professional football and became a Hall of Famer.

The same goes for Antonio Gates, another Hall of Famer, and Jimmy Graham.

Earlier this offseason, the Carolina Panthers signed former college basketball player Colin Granger, who will attempt to play tight end.