Have you ever imagined what it would look like if Steven Adams, with all his size and edge, strapped on a helmet and smashed his way onto the football field? Well, get ready, because we’re about to witness the closest thing to that wild scenario this fall, right in Death Valley. Clemson’s about to unleash a new football experiment, and it’s not just any athlete making the switch. It’s a campus legend, forever known for his hustle on the hardwood, who’s now trying his luck in shoulder pads and cleats.

The experiment? Ian Schieffelin, Tiger rebounding machine and soon-to-be highlight in tight end meetings everywhere. Maybe you’ve watched Schieffelin crash the glass with all the subtlety of a runaway freight train and thought, ‘Man, that guy would be terrifying as a blocker or red-zone target.’ Apparently, Dabo Swinney had the same thought. For years, Swinney would walk by Ian in the basketball hallways, toss off a comment, and just walk away. Over time, those little nudges turned into the boldest crossover in college sports this fall. 

Of course, this isn’t some whimsical move. For Schieffelin, his faith has been the foundation. Asked about his tattoo and how important faith was in this decision, he was honest: “It’s been huge. I mean, um, honestly, without God, I don’t know, you know, where I’d honestly be right now. Um, I lean towards him for this decision and, uh, I know he steered me to the right decision and, you know, it’s going to be a hard journey, but I know I made the right decision.” It’s not lost on Schieffelin how wild this journey is, and he’s embracing every uphill step with faith as his anchor. Last time he stepped on the gridiron, he was still in middle school. So, he had to learn everything about football from scratch. So, it wasn’t a straightforward decision.

And Swinney’s recruiting (that hallway banter) wasn’t just for grins and giggles. It was a well-planned, years-long nudge that finally paid off. As Schieffelin remembers it, “Yeah. I mean, it goes back to sophomore year. Just going in the hallway, him sneaking in a comment, ‘I wonder what you look like and shoulder pads’, and then just walking off, and you know it happened, you know three or four more times my whole career.” When Dabo finally got Schieff to make the leap, his pitch was classic: as Jon Blau tweeted, “He told Schieffelin he could play overseas in Afghanistan or come be a national story in football. ‘I don’t think I’d be playing Afghanistan if I was playing basketball,’ Schieff says. ‘But his point got across.’” If this isn’t peak Dabo, what is? Swinney saw those physical tools, the 6’8″ (more on this below) frame, the hands, and the basketball IQ, and envisioned a matchup nightmare at tight end. 

So, big fellas who dream of switch-hitting sports, fans who love an underdog twist, and anyone who wonders if faith and a coach’s sly persistence can lead to something epic, this is your storyline.

Ian Schieffelin on his height

Alright, Clemson fans, it’s time to bust a myth that you didn’t even know was a myth. Ian Schieffelin, the soon-to-be Clemson football tight end and former basketball star, decided it was high time someone told the truth about his height. Spoiler alert: he’s not the 6-foot-8 giant everyone’s been picturing. Nope, turns out Ian’s rocking a slightly more humble stature, 6 feet 7 and a half inches with shoes on. So technically, he’s never officially been that towering 6-foot-8.

Ian explained it straight up: “When I went to Portsmouth, I got listed at 6’7 and a half with shoes on. So, I’ve never technically been listed as 6’8 ever. Like, biggest shoes I’ve ever worn just never been 6’8.” He’s dropping some serious realness here, and honestly, it’s kind of refreshing. For basketball, sure, every inch counts, but for football? “Going to football, it doesn’t matter as much,” Ian says. “Like basketball, you want every inch you can get. Like 6’7 tight end, you’re still a tall tight end.” So they’re sticking with 6’7, but hey, the guy’s still got plenty of room to grow… in highlights and heart, if not in inches.

And Ian wasn’t shy about calling out the “6’7 trend” that’s gone viral lately, poking a little fun too: “A lot of people think it’s the 6’7 trend going on right now, but you know, it’s not. But we’ll go with that.” So let’s put down the tape measures for a moment and just appreciate that whether 6’7 or 6’8, Ian’s about to be causing headaches on the football field, not because of height, but because of pure athletic magic. Clemson just got a legit multi-sport star with a killer sense of humor, and that’s always a win.