Utah QB Devon Dampier receives postseason accolade for his Las Vegas Bowl performance

Dampier put together one of the most complete bowl game performances by a Utes quarterback

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) is interviewed by ESPN reporter Dawn Davenport after victory over Nebraska Cornhuskers in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier was tabbed as an Associated Press all-bowl selection on Monday, the publication announced.

Dampier received the esteemed honor less than a week after he put together his most productive performance of the 2025 season, powering the Utes to a 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31.

The junior signal-caller went 19-of-31 through the air for 310 yards with two touchdown passes and rushed for 148 yards and three scores on 19 carries, earning game MVP honors and tying former Utah quarterback Travis Wilson for the most rushing touchdowns in a bowl game in program history. It was Dampier's first career game with over 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, and marked the third time he accounted for five total touchdowns.

Dampier concluded the season with 2,490 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to five interceptions while completing 63.5% of his pass attempts. He finished as Utah's second-leading rusher with 835 yards and 10 scores on 146 carries, becoming the first Utes quarterback to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 600 in a single season since Alex Smith accomplished the feat in 2004.

Dampier's efforts also helped earn him the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year award and third team all-conference recognition.

While it was clear Dampier was the engine to Utah's potent offense in 2025, it remained unclear whether he'd be back in Salt Lake City for his senior season through the first few days of the transfer portal being opened. Dampier didn't directly answer any such questions about his future while in Las Vegas, except to acknowledge that Morgan Scalley's promotion to head coach wouldn't impact how he handled the offseason.

In the days following Dampier's comments, his trusted offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, left Utah to join Kyle Whittingham's first-year staff at Michigan, prompting the Utes to hire former Utah State offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven to the same role for 2026.

A pair of Big 12 offensive linemen made it onto the AP's all-bowl team, which featured a total of 30 players who competed in non-College Football Playoff bowl games. Houston's McKenzie Agnello and BYU's Bruce Mitchell were among the five offensive linemen honored.

Agnello didn’t allow any pressures while helping Houston pass for 230 yards and rush for 207 in a 38-35 victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl, earning him a 87 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Mitchell recorded an 84.7 pass block rating from PFF — the highest among any BYU offensive lineman — after BYU beat Georgia Tech, 25-21, in the Pop Tarts Bowl.