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FRISCO, Texas — As newly minted Utah quarterback Devon Dampier waited for the media assembled in front of him at The Star in Frisco, Texas, to finish setting up their tripods, lights and cameras, Ute offensive tackle Spencer Fano , seated beside him, started to beatbox into the microphone.
Dampier pounded the table to the beat while smiling.
Fair or not, Utah's new quarterback will bear a huge amount of responsibility for the results in 2025. If he's feeling any kind of pressure heading into the Utes' season opener at UCLA on Aug. 30, he's not showing it outwardly.
"He's a great leader. He's not an ego guy, he's a team guy. Our players picked up on that very quickly."
During a tumultuous 2024 season where Utah went 5-7, it seemed like a dark cloud constantly hung over the program. And while time will tell how this season goes, at least in the leadup to the 2025 campaign, the clouds have parted.
Everyone around the team, Whittingham included, seems a little more relaxed and at ease than last year, and a big part of that has been the infusion of Dampier into the program.
More than even his on-the-field production, which made him a coveted prospect when he hit the transfer portal from New Mexico this winter, what Utah players and coaches mention when you bring up Dampier is his leadership.
Even when you're the starting quarterback, it's not always easy to transfer to a new place and immediately command the locker room.
It started with off-the-field gestures to build camaraderie, like taking his new teammates, including the front five that protect him, to dinner as often as possible to start building those deep bonds and relationships.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, right, speaks as teammate offensive lineman Spencer Fano looks on during the Big 12 football media days in Frisco, Texas, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. | LM Otero, Associated Press
"Me personally, I don't find a relationship and a guy like Spencer just to block for me because it's football and that's what he does. I want it to be a real brother thing, where I know my brother's protecting me," Dampier said.
"I know he's got my back and I'm happy I'm able to build that relationship with all my linemen where it is more than just 'You're blocking, you're doing what you're supposed to do and I'm behind you throwing the ball.' There's a lot more to that."
By the time spring ball rolled around, Dampier had fully integrated himself as one of the go-to leaders on the team. It would not be a surprise if he is named one of Utah's captains ahead of the 2025 season opener.
"He's a great leader. He's not an ego guy, he's a team guy. Our players picked up on that very quickly," Whittingham said.
"I've said it many times, two weeks into the semester we have a leadership council vote. He was a landslide member by the votes he accumulated from the rest of the team after only two weeks being around him. He is a guy that has that magnetism of leadership of, follow me, I'll show you the way and here we go."
Aside from the locker room chemistry, Dampier has also emerged as someone who can help teach the players and answer any questions about Jason Beck's offense . Dampier had great success in Beck's offense a season ago in Albuquerque, and being reunited with his offensive coordinator in Salt Lake City has eased the transition for Dampier.
Having a quarterback who already knows the offense inside and out has made the offensive install go much more smoothly.
"He was like a coach on the field for us in spring ball," Whittingham said.
While the chemistry and bonds that are formed prior to the season started are integral to the players, no Ute fan is really going to care about that if the losses start piling up the way they did a season ago.
Is Dampier the right quarterback to guide the Utes back to a winning record, and perhaps, get them in the Big 12 title conversation?
If he can produce similar stats to what he put up in New Mexico, Utah's quarterback doldrums could be over.
Last year at New Mexico, Dampier threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions, on 58% accuracy. He added 1,166 yards and 19 scores on the ground.
The Lobos had the fourth-best offense in college football, generating 484.3 yards per game.
"He's a dynamic player, a true dual threat. … Excited to watch him play this fall and if spring ball has any indication, you guys are in for a treat to watch him play this fall," Whittingham said.
The big question — can Dampier deliver against Power Four competition?
Last year, Dampier played against Power Four foes Arizona and Auburn and played a team recently removed from Power Five status in Washington State.
In a 61-39 loss at Arizona, Dampier threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions, on 57% passing, and rushed for 130 yards and two scores. With a better defense — New Mexico had one of the worst defenses in the country last season — that may have been enough to win.
That game encapsulated the Dampier experience in 2024 — the good and the bad.
Dampier accounted for every Lobo touchdown and made some spectacular plays, even as his offensive line struggled at times. But the bad was also on display. The low completion percentage was a hallmark of his play in 2024 (Pro Football Focus said 11.6% of his incompletions against power competition were a result of dropped passes) and he turned the ball over too many times.
In a 45-19 loss to Auburn, Dampier threw for 291 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions on a 50% completion rate. He also rushed for 31 yards on five carries, and lost two fumbles, in a forgettable game personally.
Against Washington State, Dampier had one of his best games of the season in a 38-35 victory against then-No. 19 Washington State that sent the fans in Lobo Stadium streaming onto the field.
University of New Mexico players rejoice after upsetting Washington State during a game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 in Albuquerque, N.M. | Roberto E. Rosales, Associated Press
Dampier threw for 174 yards and a score on 44% accuracy, but won the game with his legs, rushing for 193 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.
After the Cougars took a 35-31 lead with 3:12 remaining, Dampier and running back Eli Sanders, who had a 33-yard run, marched the Lobos down to the Cougars' 12-yard line. Dampier converted a critical third-and-two with a four-yard run, then carried the ball on all three of New Mexico's next three snaps, cashing in with a one-yard touchdown run to win the game.
Aside from the loss to Auburn, Dampier played well enough to win in two of the three games against power competition. The biggest step in his development — and what might just be the key to the 2025 season for the Utes — will be cutting down those turnovers and upping the completion percentage.
"He was just a sophomore last year and he definitely made improvement in those areas through spring ball," Whittingham said.
If he can do so while putting up similar numbers to last season, it would be one of the most productive seasons ever by a Utah quarterback.
While much of Utah's wide receiver room is unproven against P4 competition, the unit still should be an upgrade over New Mexico, and one place Dampier is getting a definite upgrade is at offensive line. The quarterback run is an important part of Beck's offense, but Whittingham said Dampier's rushing could go down this season as a result of not having to scramble so much.
"As far as breaking the pocket because of necessity and scrambling for his life, hopefully that is lessened from what he had to do last year, but there will be QB design run," Whittingham said.
"I mean that's part of his strength and so we're not going to take that away from him. Is he going to rush for 1,100-plus yards? That's debatable, but you've got a guy that has a unique ability. You don't want to just completely take that away from him."
While it's not the same as lining up opposite an opponent, Dampier has already noticed the step-up in competition while practicing against Utah's defense, which is usually rock-solid.
"I would say there's a big difference in practices. Practice, I thought just the offense was always doing good at New Mexico, you know what I mean?" Dampier said.
"Coming here, I mean you're going against top of the league. Utah has always been known for their defense, so the fact that I get to go to against that every day, yeah, I've realized that I've gotten better since these past six months, so it's a grind and I love it."
In spring ball, Dampier looked every part the Power Four quarterback , even against Utah's defense. His ability to evade sacks and run the ball were on display, but he also showed improvement in throwing the ball, too, with less turnovers and a higher completion percentage.
Now, it's almost time to prove it on the field.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier scrambles during the Utes' spring football scrimmage at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Anna Fuder, Utah athletics
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham detailed part of the reason he came back for his 21st year. "I couldn't stomach going out on that, with that season, as frustrating as it was, and as discouraging as it was," Whittingham said.
