What Utah's getting with New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier's move to Utes

SALT LAKE CITY — In a matter of a few hours, Utah football's quarterback room had been completely gutted.

Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Outside of two high school quarterbacks signed on Dec. 4 as part of the NCAA early signing day period, Utah had no more scholarship quarterbacks on roster following the conclusion of the 2024 season.

The move wasn't all too surprising as Isaac Wilson, Brandon Rose and Sam Huard elected to enter the transfer portal after one of the worst offensive performances in the Kyle Whittingham era. It was simply an outward representation of Utah hitting the reset button after a dismal offensive year.

But Utah — or more specifically, newly hired offensive coordinator Jason Beck and offensive analyst Koy Detmer Jr. — had its eye already set on its future starting quarterback.

There was no better place to look than the quarterback who had been running — literally — Beck's offense last season that ranked No. 4 in total offense in all of the FBS. Former New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier was a natural fit.

The sophomore quarterback led a New Mexico offense in rushing with 1,166 yards, and added 2,768 passing yards on a 57.9% completion rate. He combined for 31 touchdowns on 19 rushing touchdowns and 12 passing touchdowns.

Dampier, alone, accounted for more touchdowns than Utah's offense (27) in the 2024 season.

That sounds like a win already.

But can that same success — against a Mountain West schedule — be applied to a Utah team picking up the pieces on offense in a tougher Big 12 slate? That question cannot be answered until the 2025 season, but there's optimism Utah could be successful with the true dual-threat quarterback.

So what is Utah getting with Dampier, who officially announced his commitment to the Utes on Wednesday?

Simply put, Dampier is a dynamic quarterback with a ton of upside, but is still a work in progress as he enters his final two years of eligibility. Last season, he accounted for 3,934 total yards as a sophomore, while taking on the bulk of the responsibility in the run game with an average of 97.2 rushing yards per game.

In a different offensive system and coaching staff, and as a freshman, Dampier threw for 525 yards and six touchdowns on a 62.5% completion rate, while adding 328 yards and four touchdowns rushing in spotty minutes throughout nine games.

Dampier is the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback, which is a highly coveted player in the current era of college football. But for all his upsides in Beck's RPO system, Dampier only completed 57.9% of his passes and threw 12 interceptions to his 12 passing touchdowns — a 1:1 ratio and not ideal.

(Wilson — who started under center for much of the season — passed for 1,510 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 56.4% completion percentage his freshman season for the Utes.)

However, there is a similar QB comparison that can be used to show the trajectory a player like Dampier can have with the right system and if he continues to improve. None of this is a guarantee, though.

Look no further than former Arizona State and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is now leading the Washington Commanders in the NFL.

Through years of hard work and progress, Daniels became the 2023 Heisman winner following a season that included the LSU quarterback passing for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions on a 72.2% completion percentage, while adding 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.

Daniels contributed 4,946 total yards and 50 touchdowns to be a relatively easy choice to win the top award in college football.

But Daniels' sophomore season similarly mirrored Dampier's at New Mexico. While in his last season with the Sun Devils, Daniels threw for 2,380 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on a 65.4% completion percentage. He added 710 yards and six touchdowns rushing.

That's a combined 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns — almost 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns less than Dampier his sophomore season, but similar.

The real jump for Daniels came his junior season, which led to an even better Heisman-winning senior season.

Daniels' numbers weren't necessarily otherworldly — a combined 3,798 and 28 touchdowns — but he cut down on his interceptions significantly while adding more touchdowns at a higher completion percentage (68.6%). That all led to a breakthrough his senior season.

Projecting a similar rise for Dampier — especially to that of a Heisman-winning QB — is fraught with peril, but it shows the potential Utah could have with progress and growth in a program that has more advantages historically than New Mexico.

It's why Utah is optimistic to have Dampier follow his offensive coordinator as the two continue their familiarity with each other in a new destination. Some of the best dual-threat quarterbacks over the last few years have transformed schools into national championship contenders.

Just mentioning Heisman or national championship isn't fair — or really the point — but it's what every program aspires to have. And while Dampier has a long way to go to ever being apart of either conversation — if he's even ever capable of either — it's a worthy risk to take for Utah as it looks to rebuild its offense.

The offense cannot rely simply on Dampier, but it's a good start to what Utah hopes to bring together for a new offense in 2025 with Beck calling the shots in a more modern system. And having a QB that already understands that system helps.

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