Growing up a mere ten minutes away from Tempe, Will Shaffer was a frequent Saturday attendee at Sun Devil Stadium idolizing the likes of Mike Bercovici, Brock Osweiler, Vontaze Burfict and of course fellow Sabercats alumnus D.J. Foster. On Tuesday evening, he has come one step closer to potentially playing on the same field as those players, as Arizona State linebackers’ coach, Antonio Pierce extended Shaffer a scholarship offer after observing the local Scottsdale Saguaro tight end/linebacker in workouts earlier in the day.
“ASU was recruiting me when their running backs coach John Simon was there,” Shaffer said. “I used to be in contact with him a lot since I was a freshman and I was at ASU many times. After he left it was quiet for a little bit but today coach Pierce came down to my school and offered me. So I was pretty much surprised that I got that offer.
“He told me that they watched my film from the last three years and that ASU likes me as an athlete but they were going to offer me as a linebacker since coach Pierce was the one who offered me. He told me that he wanted to get me back on campus for a visit. I’m obviously going to be there in the summer for the 7-on-7 tournament, but I may visit the campus before that too.”
During his junior year for the Sabercats, Shaffer who posted 29 receptions, 569 yards and nine touchdowns from his tight end position, along with one passing touchdown and one rushing. At linebacker, he tallied 52 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, two passes defended and an interception
“Coach Pierce said that at linebacker he likes my lateral speed,” Shaffer stated, “my ball skills and how I can drop into coverage. He liked that I had that experience of playing on offense too. I’m an athletic, smart football player. I can move well for my size – I run a 4.6. I know I need to work on open field tackling and being the first one to the ball. I just want to continue and be great on both sides of the ball, and as I go through spring practice, I’ll see what I need to improve on.
“When I talk to coaches, they like me at my weight of 220 lbs. Obviously, I’ll drop 5-10 pounds during the season, but I’ve been working hard getting faster, stronger and adding muscle weight.”
ASU marks Shaffer’s first Power 5 school offer. Memphis, Air Force and Northern Arizona are some of his other offers to date. Shaffer said that Utah and Nebraska have been recruiting him in earnest in recent weeks and could be the next schools to offer him.
“I love all the facilities at ASU because they are brand new,” Shaffer commented. “I really like the love that the coaches and the fan base show the players, and they make them feel at home. Obviously, me living in Tempe, and going to ASU games with my grandpa and dad since I was a youngin…I have seen this program develop and it’s great to see how far they have come over the years. It was really an eye-opener.
“(linebacker) Kyle Soelle who plays for ASU, was a senior at Saguaro when I was a freshman. I looked up to him as a big brother a role model, and he showed me the ropes. He told me what college is like and what your schedule will be. High school football is fun and you have to enjoy it while it lasts, because college football is more like a business. You have to know when is the right time to do certain things, and not do anything stupid.”
Shaffer said that he had no plans to leave the state for any visits and/or camps this summer. Since the recruiting process is “all coming together right now” he has no timetable for when he wants to make his decision.
“I want to go to a school that has a good location,” Shaffer noted, “and a school that the coaches and program have a lot of interest in the players.”
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