Each season, different players step up and become essential to the success of the team, whether that be Cam Rising at quarterback or Clark Phillips III at cornerback in recent years for the Utah Utes.
In 2025, there are some returning faces, like cornerback Smith Snowden and offensive tackle Spencer Fano, but some of the most important players for Utah’s success this season come from the transfer portal, like quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker.
Here are the five most important players to Utah’s success in 2025.
Devon Dampier, QB
This one is obvious. Ute fans are hoping that Devon Dampier is the answer at quarterback after two seasons of middling play at the position in Cam Rising’s absence.
Though it remains to be seen how Dampier will adjust to life in the Big 12 after coming from New Mexico, there’s a lot to be excited about based upon his sophomore season in Albuquerque and how spring ball went in Salt Lake City.
Having Jason Beck, his offensive coordinator from New Mexico, in the same post at Utah is a tremendous help, allowing him to more easily transition into a new place since a lot of the plays and offense are similar to what he’s used to.
Dampier’s upside, which he showed in spades last season, is a productive dual-threat leader with good command of a versatile offense. Beck and Dampier worked well together in 2024, as the sophomore threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns and ran for 1,166 yards and 19 scores.
Combine all of that, and it resulted in Dampier ranking as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the nation, and Utah is hoping for a repeat this season.
Along the way, he helped guide New Mexico to five wins, the Lobos’ best mark since 2016, despite New Mexico having one of the worst defenses in college football, and was available for all 12 games.
It’s not all…
Source link : https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/05/21/utah-utes-catalysts-2025-college-football-devon-dampier/
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Publish date : 2025-05-21 17:45:00
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