‘He’s dynamic’: What anonymous Big 12 coaches said about Devon Dampier

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Utah’s Devon Dampier is one of the better returning quarterbacks in college this season, with ESPN Bill Connelly ranking Dampier the No. 12 quarterback in college football and Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic pegging him at No. 22 in the country.

After a season that saw Dampier throw for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns and rush for 835 yards and 10 scores, all while playing through a sports hernia and ankle injury for much of the season, there is reason for Utah fans to be excited with the senior quarterback’s return to Salt Lake City.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN recently spoke to coaches, coordinators and general managers, who were granted anonymity to speak freely about some of the top quarterbacks in each conference.

One Big 12 defensive coordinator said, “I’m a big fan of Dampier; he’s legit.”

In a step up in competition from New Mexico, Dampier proved to be exactly what the Utes needed at the quarterback position in 2025. Dampier arrived at Utah with offensive coordinator Jason Beck, and the pairing helped the Utes score 41.2 points per game and gain 482.9 yards per contest, marks that ranked No. 4 in the country.

Dampier was the engine that made it all go, carving up many Big 12 defenses along the way.

Dampier’s goal, of course, is to make the NFL after this season. While his 5-foot-11 height may work against him in the eyes of some scouts, if he has a good enough season, he should get some looks.

“You can’t argue with his production,” a Big 12 coach said. “Whether it correlates with the NFL, I don’t know, but he would be right near the top (of the league).”

This offseason, Dampier has been hard at work with quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson and offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven on improving his pre- and post-snap processing and his progressions.

That will make Dampier more of a complete quarterback. Combined with being healthy, Utah expects another step forward for the signal-caller.

“He’s dynamic,” a Big 12 defensive coordinator said. “He’s a good-enough thrower. I wouldn’t say he’s a great thrower. But he’s good enough to kill you.”

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