As Devon Dampier waltzed onto the field, he took a moment to glance into the stands.
Hundreds of Utah fans gathered in the east side of Rice-Eccles Stadium to watch the Utes during the annual 22 Forever Spring Game on Saturday.
It was the junior quarterback’s first opportunity to showcase his talents to the Ute faithful since transferring from New Mexico last winter.
“I loved it,” Dampier said. “I could definitely hear them out there. So I’m looking forward to the fall for sure.”
Dampier is set to replace longtime star quarterback Cam Rising in 2025.
In his first test, the junior quarterback delivered a strong performance through four quarters, leading the white team to a 42-38 win over the red team.
He showcased his scrambling ability, making plays on the run.
Dampier also displayed his arm strength, lofting accurate throws from the pocket.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) at the Utah Utes spring football game in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
After a few aired throws got away from him in the first quarter, he said it took a few drives for him to be at ease.
“After I got comfortable, our guys were starting to win their routes,” Dampier said. “It started making my job a lot easier.
“Football is one of those games where, after I settle in after a little bit, it gets really easy for me to just throw.”
Dampier’s best toss of the day was a back-shoulder lob to redshirt senior wide receiver Luca Caldarella, which resulted in a 25-yard touchdown with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter.
The Tuscon, Arizona, native made a similar play to sophomore wide receiver Zacharyus Williams — who is emerging as the team’s starter — in the fourth quarter.
Those plays, Dampier says, are a sign of growing chemistry between him and the team’s receivers.
“Chemistry takes a lot in this offense,” he said. “It takes a lot of trust, knowing what they’re going to do and knowing where I’m going to put the ball. So I think we came a long way out there.”
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham was also impressed by his new quarterback. Earlier in spring camp he described Dampier, as the bona fide “leader” of Utah’s offense.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham at the Utah Utes spring football game in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
His praise continued on Saturday.
“Devon, he was pretty sharp,” Whittingham said. “He was fairly accurate today. He did a good job with his feet, that’s a good strength of his. Overall, he had a positive spring, and I thought we had a good ending to it today.”
As Utah heads into the offseason, Dampier hopes to continue connecting with his teammates and have it translate into fall camp.
His leadership will have to be a guiding force as the Utes look to recover from a 5-7 season.
That’s why Dampier is approaching the next phase of Utah’s offseason with an enhanced level of importance.
“I think the biggest thing [I’ll do] this summer is just keep reaching out to my guys,” Dampier said.
“We’re going to have a lot of time off, and I just want to make sure my guys are still on. There’s a bigger goal that we want to achieve at the end of the year, and this upcoming time off isn’t a time for us to slack off.”
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