Ian Schieffelin’s DUI charge dropped. Clemson tight end speaks on incident
One week after he was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence, Clemson tight end Ian Schieffelin has now had that charge dismissed by local police.
Schieffelin, in a statement released through lawyers Tuesday, said the City of Clemson Police Department dismissed his Aug. 17 DUI charge “after all the evidence was reviewed” and he instead accepted a traffic ticket for reckless driving.
Schieffelin, in his first public comments since his arrest, also apologized for his role in the incident and confirmed he will be suspended for the No. 4 Tigers’ home opener against No. 9 LSU on Saturday in Memorial Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
“I have learned a valuable lesson from this experience and my commitment is to grow from this, and to represent Clemson with the integrity and character it deserves,” Schieffelin said in a statement.
Schieffelin, a former All-ACC forward and four-year basketball player for the Tigers, joined the football team as a tight end in May.
The night Schieffelin was arrested
According to an incident report, Schieffelin was stopped by police around 1:47 a.m. on Aug. 17 (an early Sunday morning) after driving “rapidly” and swerving over a double yellow line on a highway outside Clemson’s campus.
Schieffelin’s charge in the incident report was listed as “Driving under the influence without BA - 1st offense.”
The “BA” in that charge refers to a blood alcohol content test, when police use a breathalyzer to determine a driver’s BAC. According to South Carolina law, if a driver is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs “to the extent that (their) faculties to drive a motor vehicle are materially and appreciably impaired,” that driver can be arrested on a DUI charge regardless of their BAC or if they took a BAC test. It’s unclear whether or not Schieffelin declined a breathalyzer test.
Coach Dabo Swinney had previously indicated Schieffelin would miss time as a result of the arrest, per guidelines in the Clemson student-athlete handbook.
Swinney said Tuesday he was satisfied with Schieffelin’s response to the situation. He also confirmed Schieffelin’s suspension is for one game, and he will be available to play for Clemson starting Week 2 against Troy.
“We’ve all made bad decisions in our lives, but you have a choice on how you apply that,” Swinney said. “You learn from it. You grow from it. So I don’t have any doubt that he’ll do just that.”
“Certainly, there’s consequences for our actions, and so I hate it for him. But he put himself in the situation, and he’ll have consequence for it. I mean, every single day since that day, he’s had a consequence.”
Here is Schieffelin’s full statement, provided to the media by Greenville-based lawyer Mills Ariail and Clemson-based lawyer Nick Lavery on Tuesday:
Ian Schieffelin statement on DUI arrest
“On Sunday, August 17, 2025, I was charged by the City of Clemson Police Department with Driving Under the Influence (DUI). After all the evidence was reviewed, the DUI charge has been dismissed by the City of Clemson Police Department and I accepted a traffic ticket for Reckless Driving.”
“As part of the resolution of this matter, I will not be allowed to play in the home opener against LSU. I am determined to learn from this experience and move forward with renewed focus.”
“I fully understand the responsibility that comes with being a student-athlete at Clemson, and I remain committed to conducting myself in a manner that reflects positively on the university, my teammates, the athletic department, and myself. I also want to emphasize my continued respect for law enforcement and the City of Clemson Police Department.”
“I have learned a valuable lesson from this experience and my commitment is to grow from this, and to represent Clemson with the integrity and character it deserves.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 9:04 AM.
