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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.”
— Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on Devon Dampier
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…
Source link : https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/07/10/utah-utes-qb-devon-dampier-against-power-competition/
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Publish date : 2025-07-11 03:00:00
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