After two painful seasons, watching Utah’s offense in 2025 was a breath of fresh air for Ute fans.
The Jason Beck-Devon Dampier partnership worked wonders for Utah, which finished the season averaging 41.2 points per game (No. 5 in the nation) and rushing for 266.3 yards per game (No. 2 in the nation).
Utah set new school records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns as Beck leaned on the strength of the offense — the offensive line and run game — to great success.
After Kyle Whittingham left for Michigan and took Beck with him, Utah’s offense is undergoing a revamp, though the Utes still have a solid foundation in quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin and running back Wayshawn Parker all returning.
“It was a huge coup for us to be able to hold on to our two quarterbacks and as well as them understanding that we wanted to make sure that the offense we brought in fit their skill sets,” Utah coach Morgan Scalley said in an interview on the “Sean O’Connell Show” on ESPN 700 radio.
New offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven, formerly at Utah State, will install an offense that promises to be similar to Beck’s. Can that help the Utes roll to similar offensive production?
“If you look at what Kevin’s done anywhere he’s been, that’s what he’s been able to do is adapt and innovate. And so they were really excited about Coach McGiven and his system and the coaching staff that we were bringing in,” Scalley said.
A lot of Utah’s success in 2026 will be riding on two areas of the offense — the receivers and the offensive line. If Utah can be serviceable in those areas, the Utes could win a lot of games, but if the front five struggles, Utah could regress.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of Utah’s offense in the first year under Scalley.
Quarterbacks
Utah’s quarterback situation seems as solid as it’s been in a long time heading into the 2026 season.
The Utes were able to hold on to not only starting quarterback Dampier, but backup quarterback Ficklin, giving Utah’s offense a solid foundation.
“I’m excited to have that leadership in the quarterback room because both those guys walk the talk and it’s fun to see when your best players are also some of your best leaders,” Scalley said.
Dampier, who played through injury for the majority of the 2025 season, helped elevate Utah’s offense to one of the most productive in the country, throwing for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 835 yards and 10 scores.
The two knocks on Dampier as he made the jump from the Mountain West Conference to the Big 12 were his accuracy and his turnover issues. In his first year with Utah, he improved in both those areas, completing 63.5% of his passes and turning the ball over just six times.
Though he will be losing his offensive coordinator — the trust the pair had in each other was a big key to Utah’s offensive success — Dampier coming back for his senior year at Utah is a huge boon for new offensive coordinator McGiven.
Bolstering the quarterback situation is Ficklin.
After a successful freshman season that saw him throw for 301 yards and three touchdowns and rush for 513 yards and 10 scores, Ficklin’s return to Salt Lake City gives Utah a high floor in its quarterback room.
With Ficklin in the fold, there’s no longer worry about the backup quarterback spot, as was the case in 2023 and 2024.
“They were excited about what we were bringing in schematically, that it was going to be something very similar to what they had just gone through. They love their teammates. They love the guys that are coming back with them,” Scalley said.
“In college football, to have what we have at the University of Utah with a fan base that sells out every home game that has a passion, that shows their love for our players — I don’t know that they felt the need to go anywhere else. They’ve got what they need here and the opportunity to win a championship.”
Running backs
Last season started with Utah splitting reps between sophomore Wayshawn Parker and senior NaQuari Rogers before Parker took the lead running back role in the latter half of the season.
In 2026, it’s clear — Parker will be RB1 from the get-go after a productive sophomore season that saw him rush for 981 yards and six touchdowns on only 149 carries.
Look for speedster Daniel Bray, who had 272 yards and one touchdown on 40 carries, to increase his utilization. San Jose State freshman transfer Steve Chavez-Soto (448 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 carries) could be Utah’s option for short-yardage situations, and freshman LaMarcus Bell is a player to watch from the incoming high school class.
As long as Parker keeps up his play from last season and Utah finds a reliable change-of-pace player, the Utes should be in good shape at the running back position.
Receivers and tight ends
As is the case before most seasons, there are questions surrounding Utah’s receiver room.
After receivers coach Micah Simon left for Michigan, Scalley brought in former coach Chad Bumphis to work with the new receivers coming in this season.
The Utes will be replacing their top three pass-catchers — Ryan Davis (725 yards), Dallen Bentley (620 yards) and JJ Buchanan (427 yards). The only returner with more than 200 yards is Larry Simmons, who could end up being Utah’s WR1 or WR2 in 2026.
Receiver and tight end was a key position for Scalley to address in the portal, and Utah brings in three receivers and two tight ends to restock depleted rooms.
The most intriguing receiver addition is Utah State junior Braden Pegan, who has experience in McGiven’s offense. Pegan tallied 926 yards and five touchdowns on 60 receptions last year and arrives at Utah as the instant favorite to be Dampier’s leading receiver.
San Jose State junior Kyri Shoels (59 receptions, 768 yards, two touchdowns) is another productive player making the leap from the Mountain West to the Big 12.
Simmons (280 yards, six touchdowns on 15 receptions), Creed Whittemore (92 yards, one touchdown on 12 receptions) and Tobias Merriweather (130 yards and eight receptions) all return with an opportunity to get more receptions with offseason progress.
Utah did bring in two tight ends — Weber State’s Noah Bennee, Jackson’s brother, and Oklahoma State’s Will Monney — but the pair will likely be behind Hunter Andrews.
Andrews was proving himself as a dynamic weapon in Utah’s offense before suffering a season-ending injury, and should prove to be a useful player for McGiven in 2026.
Receivers have not been a strong point for past Utah teams. With Dampier back at the helm, is 2026 the year that changes?
Offensive line
No pressure, but Utah’s season could hinge on the performance of its offensive line.
It’s unfair to expect a group of all new starters — with a new position coach, no less — to live up to the lofty standards set by a group of veterans that featured at least two NFL draft picks, but the Utes can ill afford to have a poor offensive line this season with the talent returning at quarterback and at running back.
Perhaps due to the confidence in their internal replacements, Utah picked up just two offensive linemen in the transfer portal — Ohio State freshman Isaiah Kema and Montana State redshirt sophomore Cedric Jefferson. Jefferson started at tackle for the FCS national champions and earned an All-Big Sky honorable mention nod, while Kema played 31 snaps for the Buckeyes.
Jefferson should be in the mix for a starting tackle spot, while five-star tackle Kelvin Obot, who was coached by new Ute offensive line coach Jordan Gross in high school, has the talent to start right away at the other tackle position.
The interior three starters will depend on if seniors Alex Harrison and Zereoue Williams, both out of eligibility, will have waivers granted by the NCAA. If the waivers are granted, both players will provide veteran leadership and will be in the running to start.
Keith Olsen, who played 295 snaps last year, is also a starting candidate.
Another player to keep your eye on is four-star redshirt freshman Isaiah Garcia, who suffered a season-ending injury in fall camp. A healthy Garcia could challenge for a starting spot.
There’s plenty of potential in Gross’s group. Can they put it together on the field? We’ll find out.
