Being a Tiger is not for the weak. Dabo Swinney, throughout his 18-year-long career, has dedicated himself to keeping Clemson as an elite program. Being part of the squad means being among the very best in college football. But disappointing the Clemson culture will also earn you quick wrath. Dabo Swinney isn’t holding back on new TE Ian Schieffelin, who is in for some huge trouble after an arrest.

On the Clemson offense this year, there was a good chance you’d be seeing one of the helmets at a towering height above the others. That would’ve been TE Ian Schieffelin, who was using his last year of eligibility to play for Clemson football. You’ll know him better as a star for Clemson basketball, which had a record-high 27 wins this last season. He was going to be an interesting experiment for Swinney. The last time Schieffelin played competitively on anything green was back in middle school. However, a run-in with the law has now earned the TE some bad rap.

Ian Schieffelin was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of DUI. And Dabo Swinney is coming down hard on the brand-new college football player. He released a statement in light of the arrest, and Schieffelin’s got some serious punishment coming. “We are aware of Ian Schieffelin’s arrest on suspicion of DUI. Clemson Athletics has a clear policy by which we will abide, so Ian will miss some competition to start this season as a consequence. We’re obviously very disappointed by the situation, but we are very thankful no others were involved and no one was hurt,” the statement read.

While it is not clear exactly how many games the TE will be missing, they sure are some big ones. He will be barred from the much-awaited Clemson-LSU game and maybe the next two against Troy and ACC sleeper Georgia Tech. There are two more exciting games after this, with Syracuse and UNC. What was going to be an interesting year for Schieffelin will no longer be so, now that he has a police record. Making a pivot to Clemson football doesn’t seem to working out too well for the former basketball star.

How 2025 was going to be a win-win for both Swinney and Ian Schieffelin

According to Schieffelin, Dabo Swinney used to make him casual offers for a football career. Schieffelin led the Tigers basketball team to two NCAA tournament appearances, building a good resume. With 1,067 career points in the bag, Schieffelin was actually looking to transfer out. But Swinney made him a good offer, and it seemed too good to forgo. “To be able to be coached by Dabo and [tight ends coach Kyle] Richardson is just a huge opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he told ESPN.

And Swinney pitched Schieffelin, who had been away from the gridiron for a long time, with a plan in mind. The depth in the TE room was thin as the Tigers navigated fall camp. Jake Briningstool is now finding a way in the NFL. The likely starter is Olsen Patt-Henry. But after him, there’s no reliable talent. There are 3 TEs in that room who are extremely inexperienced. Josh Sapp comes with just 13 receptions, 123 yards, and 2 TDs. That’s why Schieffelin was a bold but productive intake for Dabo Swinney this season. This is, after all, someone who likes to steer clear of the transfer portal unless absolutely needed.

The TE joined the squad after spring camp, which means it was going to be tight for him this season. While he still awaits punishment from the law, Dabo Swinney has already taken a hit at Ian Schieffelin’s last collegiate year. The TE will now have a different story shaping up for him this season, as he is sidelined for the first part of the season.