"Now you can smash 'em with your hands": Clemson HC Dabo Swinney recalls recruitment pitch to former basketball standout Ian Schieffelin 

Clemson Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin is expected to trade his basketball shoes for cleats, joining Dabo Swinney's football program for the 2025 season. After spending four years on the basketball court, he announced his transition to football last month.

It was an unexpected move that everyone thought was a joke, but Schieffelin insisted that he wanted to play college football. He will join the Tigers as a tight end next season, and it will be his first time playing on the gridiron since high school.

On Wednesday, coach Swinney sat down with ACC Network to share the story of how it all came together and how he encouraged Ian Schieffelin to join the team.

"I've told him for four years he's a football player out there playing basketball," Swinney said. "He's 6'7", 260, so he's top of the food chain in measurables for an NFL guy. He's kind of average for an NBA guy at his position. But, you know, he played football. He was a guy that played up until the 10th grade, so I had a little bit of inside knowledge on him, and we'll see how it goes.

"As I told him, I said, 'You've been high-pointing balls for a long time with collision balance. You've been moving your feet, staying in front of guys, but now you can smash 'em with your hands, and they don't blow a whistle and call a penalty.'"

Swinney also mentioned that Schieffelin can now knock people down and get applause for it instead of setting still screens, which is part of why he thinks he can succeed in football:

"So, I think there's a lot of skills that translate if you're a big, thick kid."

Ian Schieffelin talks about considering football after Dabo Swinney's serious offer

After a long pursuit, Dabo Swinney finally managed to convince Ian Schieffelin to spend six months with the football team. The senior forward, who averaged 12.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, entered the transfer portal in April, but it was Swinney called and pitched him the idea.

"Dabo just walked me through the opportunity he was willing to give me, and it all sounded great, something I wanted to jump on," Schieffelin said via ESPN.com. "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."

Ian Schieffelin was already preparing for a professional basketball career, given his limited chances to get another year of eligibility. But Swinney's vision for him and the football team led him to put those plans on hold.