After two down years, the 2025 season is shaping up to be a pivotal season for the Utes.
After struggles in 2023 and 2024, Utah has completely overhauled the offense, starting with the quarterback position and extending all the way to the tight ends room, with the only position group that remains pretty much the same being the offensive line.
Aside from the guys that will protect likely starting quarterback Devon Dampier, there’s not a ton of production returning for the Utes, whether due to players running out of eligibility (especially from the COVID-19 era where all players’ eligibility was extended one year) or transferring.
There’s one thing that’s for sure — Utah’s offense is going to look and feel a lot different in 2025, but there are still some familiar faces that return for the upcoming campaign.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of which contributors are returning for the 2025 season.
Quarterback
The quarterback position is going to look quite different next season with just one returner from the 2024 room — Isaac Wilson. Everyone else — Cam Rising, Brandon Rose, Sam Huard and Luke Bottari — is gone, clearing the way for New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier to earn the starting job.
Dampier totaled 3,934 yards of offense in 2024 (2,768 passing and 1,166 rushing), and along with his Lobo offensive coordinator Jason Beck, now at Utah, will provide a much different feel for the offense — something that’s been missing for the last two seasons.
“Devon is a true, in every sense of the word, dual-threat quarterback. He’s a terrific runner, he’s a very good thrower,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
“We expect to get his completion percentage bumped up a little bit this year. We think that’ll happen just through maturity and familiarity in the system. ... He was only sacked four times last year and that wasn’t because of stellar protection all the time. He’s very mobile in the pocket, has great pocket awareness.”
Production returning in 2025
- Isaac Wilson, sophomore. 2024 stats: 127 for 225 for 1,510 yards, 10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions passing; 47 yards rushing
Production leaving in 2025
- Cam Rising, senior. 2024 stats: 34 for 66 for 555 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions
- Brandon Rose, sophomore. 2024 stats: 19 for 26 for 157 yards, two interceptions, two touchdowns passing; 66 yards rushing
- Luke Bottari, senior. 2024 stats: 19 for 30 for 171 yards, one touchdown; nine carries for 34 yards rushing
Offensive line
Throughout an offseason and change and upheaval on the offensive side of the ball, especially in the quarterback and running backs room, the one thing that has remained constant is Utah’s offensive line.
The Utes returned nearly every offensive lineman that played over 150 snaps for the team last year, including Spencer Fano, who earned a 92.5 Pro Football Focus grade, making him the highest-graded tackle in the country. Fano is poised for a big junior season, and if he plays as well as he did last year, his NFL draft stock will continue to rise.
Production returning in 2025
- Jaren Kump, senior. 2024 stats: 773 snaps, 67.2 PFF grade
- Caleb Lomu, sophomore. 2024 stats: 772 snaps, 75.6 PFF grade
- Spencer Fano, junior. 2024 stats: 770 snaps, 92.5 PFF grade
- Tanoa Togiai, senior. 2024 stats: 649 snaps, 79 PFF grade
- Michael Mokofisi, senior. 2024 stats: 405 snaps, 63.9 PFF grade
- Solatoa Moea’i, junior. 2024 stats: 276 snaps, 52.4 PFF
Production leaving in 2025
- Falcon Kaumatule, senior. 2024 stats: 161 snaps, 70.9 PFF grade
Running backs
Every running back who had a carry last season, save for linebacker-turned-running-back Hunter Andrews and Omar Shah, who combined for three carries, is gone, either due to the transfer portal exodus or graduation.
Micah Bernard, who emerged as the team’s lead running back and rushed for 1,009 yards and four touchdowns last season, is out of eligibility, so not only did Utah have to completely restock the room, it has to find its new RB1.
In Washington State freshman Wayshawn Parker, the Utes think that they have done just that.
“He’s really a tough, physical running back — can run inside, can run outside, has great contact, balance, breaks tackles yards after contact and he was just a freshman last year. He’s got a big upside and we’re excited about what he can do,” Whittingham said.
Parker rushed for 735 yards and four touchdowns and added 11 receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown in his freshman campaign last season and quickly became one of the most sought-after running backs in the portal.
Sweetening the deal was the hiring of his former running backs coach Mark Atuaia, who replaces Quinton Ganther this season.
New Mexico’s NaQuari Rogers and UNLV’s Devin Green are also new in the room, alongside freshmen Raycine Guillory and Daniel Bray.
Production leaving in 2025
- Micah Bernard, RB, senior. 2024 stats: 1,009 yards and four touchdowns on 197 carries; 30 receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns
- Mike Mitchell, RB, redshirt freshman. 2024 stats: Seven carries for 158 yards and one touchdown, one reception for five yards
- Dijon Stanley, RB, sophomore. 2024 stats: 12 games, 66 rushing yards, 166 receiving yards and two touchdowns
- Jaylon Glover, RB, sophomore. 2024 stats: Three games, 12 carries for 60 yards
- Charlie Vincent, RB, senior. 2024 stats: 14 carries for 44 yards, two receptions for nine yards
Wide receivers
One of the more intriguing position groups to watch as Utah heads into spring football are the wide receivers.
There will be a lot of new faces, but potentially a familiar one as well, as leading receiver Dorian Singer is petitioning the NCAA for another year of eligibility. The clock is ticking, because the NFL has a Feb. 7 deadline for seniors to opt out of the draft.
“That’s being worked on. You got to have a case, you got to have reasons why, much like the young man at Vanderbilt that got his extra year,” Whittingham said. “Dorian would like nothing more than a return with us. I can’t give you a percentage or anything like that. I can’t tell you that, it’s still a process right now. We’re trying every which way to see if we can get him one more year.”
As of now, however, the Utes have three wide receivers with production returning, headlined by Zacharyus Williams, who came on strong during Utah’s final three games of the season, including a 72-yard performance in the season finale against UCF, and Daidren Zipperer, who notched 62 yards against Iowa State.
If Singer does not get an NCAA waiver, will it be one of the those players stepping up as WR1, or a new player like Utah State’s Otto Tia, New Mexico’s Ryan Davis and Mississippi State’s Creed Whittemore?
Production returning in 2025
- Daidren Zipperer, sophomore. 2024 stats: Eight receptions for 122 yards
- Zacharyus Williams, sophomore. 2024 stats: 10 receptions for 101 yards
- Luca Caldarella, senior. 2024 stats: Two receptions for 26 yards
Question marks
- Dorian Singer, senior. 2024 stats: 53 receptions for 702 yards and one touchdown
Production leaving in 2025
- Mycah Pittman, senior. 2024 stats: Eight games, six receptions for 50 yards
- Munir McClain, senior. 2024 stats: Three receptions for 20 yards
- Money Parks, senior. 2024 stats: 21 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns
Tight ends
Landen King, who saw decreased playing time last season, is back for another year, and could end up being Utah’s premier tight end after Brant Kuithe’s graduation. Dallen Bentley also returns, but the Utes are losing a good chunk of production from this room, including Carsen Ryan and blocking tight end Miki Suguturaga.
Production returning in 2025
- Landen King, senior. 2024 stats: Three receptions for 54 yards and one touchdown
- Dallen Bentley, senior. 2024 stats: Two receptions for 15 yards
Production leaving in 2025
- Brant Kuithe, senior. 2024 stats: 35 receptions for 505 yards and six touchdowns
- Carsen Ryan, junior. 2024 stats: 10 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown
- Caleb Lohner, senior. 2024 stats: Four receptions for 54 yards and four touchdowns
- Miki Suguturaga, senior. 2024 stats: One reception for three yards