How good can Devon Dampier be with Utah Utes?

Devon Dampier sure knows how to make a first impression.

Whether it's because of the leadership he exhibits right off the bat with his teammates, the contagious smile he brings with him to interviews, the dynamic style of play he brings to the table or some combination of all the above, coaches and media members alike are bullish on Dampier heading into his first season as the starting quarterback of the Utah Utes.

"He's got that 'it' factor that you look for in quarterbacks," said Dampier's coach, Kyle Whittingham, during Big 12 media day. "He's a guy that everybody gravitates toward."

Whittingham isn't the first coach Dampier has wowed with his blend of charisma and talent — former New Mexico head coach Bronco Mendenhall recalls not knowing who the 6-foot-tall, 190-pound sophomore was prior to arriving in Albuquerque, New Mexico, ahead of the 2024 campaign.

It didn't take long for the now-Utah State head coach to figure out the kind of player he had on his hands. Eventually, the rest of the country will too.

"I remember thinking in the spring, with this player at this position, we'll have a chance to score really against anybody," Mendenhall said of Dampier at Mountain West media day. "And that played out."

Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall tells us his first reaction to seeing Devon Dampier at New Mexico and draws comparisons to Bryson Barnes abilities.#AggiesAllTheWay @KSLSports #Utes pic.twitter.com/p4eC8AAi4B
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_TV) July 17, 2025

With Dampier at the helm of offensive coordinator Jason Beck's offense, New Mexico finished the 2024 campaign ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West in red zone efficiency and total offense, checking in at No. 4 in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 484.3 yards per game. Dampier led the conference in points responsible for (188) and total yards (3,934), showcasing his dual-threat abilities as he tossed 12 touchdowns through the air and ran in another 19 on the ground across 13 starts for the Lobos.

"Not to be disparaging, but he was pretty much a one man show [at New Mexico]," Whittingham said of Dampier's 2024 campaign. "And did most of it on his own, and so I'm sure he's excited to be able to operate behind our offensive line."

Dampier's definitely a fan of Whittingham's decision to bring in Beck to take over offensive play-calling duties. Former New Mexico offensive analyst Koy Detmer Jr. and wide receivers coach Micah Simon have also made the move to Utah this offseason, surrounding Dampier with more familiar faces and creating a sense of continuity among the coaching staff.

The jump to Power 4 competition shouldn't be taken lightly, though, considering he is familiar with the playbook, has perhaps the best offensive line in the country protecting him up front and a dynamic skillset to bring it all together, there's a lot to like on paper regarding Dampier's outlook for 2025.

In a tier list featuring every projected starting quarterback in the FBS, The Athletic placed Dampier in the third tier and had him as the seventh-best quarterback in the Big 12. CBS Sports graded him as the No. 6 quarterback in the league and the top-rated transfer at the position. On3's Andy Staples had Dampier the highest, sliding him in as the No. 3 quarterback on his Big 12 rankings.

"Dampier isn’t going to blow anyone away with his arm, but behind Utah’s stacked offensive line, he may be able to dominate defenses with a combination of his legs and his arm," Staples wrote. "Dampier should allow the Utes to smash opponents in the run game, which Whittingham will love. And if Utah is running the ball effectively, it probably loosens the windows into which Dampier will have to throw."

As for who Dampier will be throwing to, that's a different story. Utah's receiver room is the "biggest question mark on the team" according to Whittingham, who said during Big 12 media days that a hierarchy hasn't been established yet among the group of transfers battling for playing time. The Utes are hoping a pecking order will formulate during fall camp and ahead of the season opener against UCLA on Aug. 30, though it'll likely be an early-season storyline to follow for the first month at least.

While his improvisation makes for an exciting style of play, Dampier's decision-making admittedly has room to grow. He threw 12 interceptions and completed 57.9% of his pass attempts last season, the latter of which ranked as the second-lowest completion percentage among Mountain West quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts in 2024.

"There's things he needs to work on," Whittingham said of Dampier. "We got to get the completion percentage up a little bit higher. We've got to get the touchdown-to-interception ratio a little bit better. But he was just a sophomore last year, and he definitely made improvement in those areas through spring ball."

If he can limit his turnover count and step up to the plate against Big 12 foes, Dampier will leave quite a mark on the rest of the college football landscape. Internally, he's already left a lasting impression.

"It's not like he commands the huddle, but everybody looks to Devon as the leader of the offense," Whittingham said. "And that's pretty impressive."

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