Big 12 contenders? Devon Dampier and Jason Beck could unlock Utes’ potential.

Last week, I was hanging around the University of Utah’s football practice facility, waiting for the Utes’ workouts to end to talk to Kyle Whittingham and his football team. While reporters were passing time, ESPN700 host Sean O’Connell did what he does every day on his radio show — he asked good questions.

In particular, one question he asked stood out: Can the Utes score one more touchdown per game than they did last season?

It matters a lot.

The Utes had a pretty abysmal 5-7 season last year — but five of those losses were within just one score. If they had been able to score just one more touchdown per game, you’d be looking at a 10-2 record. (Or, really, a 9-2 record with one potential overtime contest to win or lose, the Utes’ eight-point loss at Arizona State.)

But getting that extra touchdown per contest would be game-changing for the Utes. Right now, confidence exists that the defense will once again be strong, just as it was last season despite being placed under massive pressure. The Utes ranked second in the Big 12 (behind BYU) in scoring defense last season, and given how often they were on the field, that’s a massive win.

Meanwhile, the offense ranked 15th. An additional touchdown per game would have ranked them eighth in the conference — and the combination of an above-average offense and a stellar defense would be enough to put the Utes in Big 12 title contention in 2025.

So will they be able to do it? Let’s look at some reasons why we could see a significantly stronger offense for Utah next season.

Devon Dampier’s got to be better than last year’s QBs

According to Pro Football Focus’ grades — which don’t take quantity of production into account, just per-snap efficiency — Utah’s quarterbacks ranked 208th (Brandon Rose), 289th (Luke Bottari), 329th (Cam Rising), and 330th (Isaac Wilson) last season.

It was a strange season. Frankly, much of the time, it looked like the Utes were choosing the QB starter for off-field reasons rather than on-field ones.

In comes Devon Dampier, the 16th-ranked quarterback last season.

Heck, if you look at quarterbacks with 300 dropbacks or more, only Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, Sam Leavitt, Brendon Lewis, and Kyle McCord were higher ranked last season — really pretty impressive company.

I have minor concerns about how Dampier, who transferred from New Mexico, will translate from the Mountain West to the Big 12. He’s only 5-foot-11, and relied on his athleticism to avoid a lot of sacks that he might not escape so easily this season.

But in no world, even the worst-case one, does that drop him to a below 200th-ranked quarterback. Frankly, I’d take the returning Nate Johnson over many of last year’s QBs, barring massive improvement from Wilson in year two. That’s how dire Wilson’s production was.

And in a best-case world, Dampier’s production not only translates, but improves with experience, time, and an offensive line that’s as talented as any in the Big 12. If you’re looking for Utah’s championship upside, it’s right here: Dampier with time and space to operate and punish defenses.

Jason Beck’s offense

Look, the Lobos were not a good team last year. But their offense sang thanks, in large part, to offensive coordinator Jason Beck and his scheme. It’s faster, it’s wider, and it seeks to give Dampier freedom to impress.

I asked Whittingham what excited him most about Beck’s new offensive structure.

“Probably the big play capability. Devon Dampier is a big-play guy, and this offense suits him to a T,” Whittingham said. “He’s a true dual threat, and this offense features a lot of QB run game, a lot of RPO.”

In short, the Utes look to rely on Dampier’s mobility and decision-making with the ball in his hands. As a result, they’ll probably be seeking bigger plays next year thanks to a spread offense that will give Dampier freedom to make decisions down the field.

Last year at New Mexico, Dampier took 71 shots down the field beyond 20 yards, compared to just 59 across Utah’s variety of quarterbacks. Dampier was excellent in deep and medium passing ranges, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading, while Isaac Wilson couldn’t find much rhythm with any kind of throws.

Wayshawn Parker optimism; receivers room a question mark

I think it’s relatively fair to be concerned about the Utes’ other skill positions, though.

The lead rusher at this point looks like Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker — what he did as a freshman in the Pac-12 was pretty impressive, but it would have been much more impressive if it came in a 2023 Pac-12 schedule versus a 2024 one. It was strange how Washington State’s coaching staff didn’t give him more snaps in the second half of the season, though — and it might have been because of his deficiencies in blocking.

I believe in Parker, but if that blocking weakness were to continue, it wouldn’t be totally stunning to see Whittingham and Beck give opportunities to other backs and make this a running-back cohort rather than a bell-cow situation, especially given the planned emphasis on keeping the ball in Dampier’s hands.

As far as wide receiver goes ... it’s questionable. It’s nearly all transfers.

Tobias Merriweather has the height and skill to be the Utes’ No. 1 receiver, but really disappointed at Notre Dame and Cal alike. Larry Simmons, a transfer from Southern Miss, graded out pretty poorly by PFF’s metrics.

Ryan Davis might be my choice to lead the Utes in receptions among wide receivers. He is just 5-11, so that’s not great — but he has a standing relationship with Dampier, having played together at New Mexico, and redshirt senior experience. I’d also highlight Daidren Zipperer as one of the few remaining receivers who is sticking around at Utah.

Goodness, though, things would have been a lot better had the NCAA approved Dorian Singer’s request for another year of eligibility.