There's been plenty of changes on the offensive side for the University of Utah as it enters the 2025 season.
There will be a new quarterback (New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier), a whole new cast of running backs (Wayshawn Parker, NaQuari Rogers, Devin Green) and more than a few new wide receivers (Tobias Merriweather, Creed Whittemore, Otto Tia, Justin Stevenson, Ryan Davis, Larry Simmons).
The one position group that has stayed the same? The offensive line, and that's good news for the Utes.
Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick recently ranked the nation's 10 best offensive lines, and Utah came in second, behind Alabama.
Phil Steele tabbed the Utes' o-line as the seventh-best in the country, while Lindy's preseason magazine named it the fifth-best in the country.
When asked about the offensive line this spring, coach Kyle Whittingham put it best:
"Offensive line is going to be — they better be — very good," Whittingham said.
There's high expectations, both nationally and internally, for a veteran offensive line group that returns all five starters from a season ago.
They're just fine with that.
"The 2016 O-line had four kids drafted on it, and so that was probably the most talented group I think," offensive line coach Jim Harding said.
"If — and big if — we play to our potential, we could be at that point. Now that puts a lot of expectations on the group and that's what we've talked about this winter is if we're going to be who we think we can be or who we want to be, then we got to embrace this and use this as a challenge to continue to work."
Utah's 2025 offensive line is headlined by junior right tackle Spencer Fano, who has garnered considerable NFL draft buzz heading into this season. He's been projected as high as No. 3 in the 2026 NFL draft, and if he has the season that many draft experts are projecting him to have, he'll be the first Ute selected in the NFL draft's first round since linebacker Devin Lloyd in 2022.
"The Evan Neal experiment was a failure in New York, which is why the Giants might be looking at offensive tackle early in next year's draft. Fano has first-round feet and was equally effective in pass protection and as a run blocker last season," wrote The Athletic's Dane Brugler, who projected Fano No. 3.
Last season, Fano graded out as Pro Football Focus's best offensive tackle. The Timpview High product has started at tackle since his true freshman season and has only gotten better with expereince.
At 6-foot-6 and 302 pounds, Fano isn't just powerful and mean while run and pass blocking, but he also possesses some striking athleticism for his size — just look at his receiving two-point conversion against Colorado.
At the opposite position — left tackle — is Caleb Lomu, who took a big step forward in his redshirt sophomore season and started all 12 games, becoming one of Utah's most indispensable players up front. Like Fano, Lomu is generating draft buzz, appearing in plenty of first-round 2026 mock drafts.
After giving up just two sacks last season and especially excelling in pass blocking, Lomu's powerful game has NFL draft scouts talking.
In between the two tackles are guards Michael Mokofisi and Tanoa Togiai and center Jaren Kump, all of whom are seniors who return after starting last season.
Togiai started 10 games and played in 11 before suffering a season-ending injury, but had a good season — especially run blocking. Mokofisi started seven games before suffering a season-ending injury of his own.
Kump, meanwhile, started all 12 games and turned in a solid performance.
All of that experience between the five starters returning provides Dampier and Parker with an excellent foundation in front of them.
Behind the starting five are Alex Harrison, Solatoa Moea'i, Keith Olsen, Zereoue Williams, Isaiah Garcia, Roger Alderman and USC transfer Kalolo Ta'aga.
"I mean, we got good players up front and they're the nucleus of the offense. We've got two outstanding offensive tackles, really good inside three, good depth behind them, so they've got to lead the charge," Whittingham said.
While Dampier will get most of the attention and praise from fans, he'll be majorly helped out by an experienced offensive line that will make the transition into Power Four football easier for him.
"It's a run-heavy offense in a lot of ways and our offensive line loves to run block. I think that it's a really good fit for the personnel that we have up front," Whittingham said.
Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu celebrates a big play during game againstSouthern Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. | Sophia Kuder, Utah Athletics
