Utah QB Devon Dampier makes his intentions for next season clear

Utes quarterback spoke on his future in Salt Lake City during a radio show appearance

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) became the first Utah quarterback to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for over 600 yards in a single season since Alex Smith in 2004. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Devon Dampier mentioned several times during the regular season how appreciative he was to be with the Utah football team.

Based on the recent comments the dual-threat quarterback made on Sean O'Connell's ESPN 700 radio show regarding his future with the Utes, it would appear Dampier would like to keep things the way they are for his senior season.

"I'm big on staying on honestly," Dampier said (around the 27:23 mark). "I have no intentions to leave so, I'm pretty settled right now."

Dampier also said he anticipates being named a captain for the 2026 squad, and that he does play a role in recruiting. He also noted his desire to play against BYU again.

Dampier, a transfer from New Mexico, helped the Utes achieve a 10-2 overall record while revitalizing an offense that struggled to put up points prior to his and offensive coordinator Jason Beck's arrival to Salt Lake City. Utah put up 41.1 points per game in the regular season, which would mark just the third time since 1930 that the Utes averaged over 40 points per game, pending its eventual bowl game.

Given the volatility of the coaching carousel, it wouldn't be a surprise if Beck's name got thrown into the ring of head coaching candidates at some point in December or January.

As for who'll be the head coach of the Utes in 2026 — Kyle Whittingham or defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, should Whittingham decide to retire — Dampier appears to be ready for either scenario to play out.

"I think I'm comfortable if Scalley steps in as head coach," Dampier said. "Obviously, me and Beck — I trust him more than anyone else. So those are two pretty big steps for me to stay here."

Beck's name hasn't been publicly linked to any of the head coaching vacancies at the Power Four and Group of 5 levels. But if the saga involving BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and Penn State proved anything, it's that hardly anything in college football is a foregone conclusion until it actually happens.

The same logic applies to players and the transfer portal. Although, contrary to years past, there will be a single two-week portal window from Jan. 2-16. There used to be two portal windows in the winter and spring before the NCAA made changes to the transfer process in October.

Whittingham voiced his support of the modifications earlier in the season, saying two windows created too much roster instability and that one window would cut down on the tampering and contract renegotiations with players.

Time will tell if the two-week window pays off for Utah, which will attempt to retain both Dampier and dynamic freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin for the 2026 campaign.

"December is now completely a dead period, and the portal does not open until January now so you have a little more time after the regular season to sort those things out than before," Whittingham said during a press conference in November. "With what Byrd's done this year and what Devon has done, for that matter, we're gonna have to really step up to hang on to those guys."

Dampier followed his electric 2024 campaign with a quarterback rating of 82.0, checking in at No. 9 in the country in that category. That would also be the third-highest among Utah quarterbacks since ESPN kept track of that stat in 2004, trailing only Alex Smith (84.5 in 2005) and Cam Rising (84.2 in 2021). Dampier ended the regular season with 2,180 passing yards, a career-high 22 passing touchdowns and only 5 interceptions after throwing 12 picks last season. He also had 687 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns.

No Utah quarterback had thrown for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 600 yards in a single season since Smith accomplished the feat while guiding the Utes to an undefeated record in 2004-05.