Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 10-42vs Temple | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 26-27vs Bryant | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 7-47@ Iowa | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#52
Dean Shaffer
Senior linebacker for Massachusetts. 2025: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 230 lb · Smithtown, NY
Returning to Massachusetts for 2026
The numbers
7
tackles · 2025
3 games into 2025 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, at Iowa
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Massachusetts. 2025: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Yale to Massachusetts in 2025.
Dean Shaffer
Yale to Massachusetts — the move that set up everything since. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Temple — Week 1, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- portal record
- game log
His career
20253 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Massachusetts
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Massachusetts0-12HC: Joe Harasymiak · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Joe Harasymiak
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Massachusetts
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Linebacker · Massachusetts
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +2 net (21 in / 19 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Massachusetts · Last season: 0-12 · Talent rank #128 · 2026 recruiting class #116
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology