Devon Dampier’s Leadership Is Reason To Be Excited About Utah Football
Mar 25, 2025, 8:51 PM | Updated: Mar 26, 2025, 12:35 pm
Utah's Devon Dampier photo coutresy by Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY—Utah football’s new starting quarterback, Devon Dampier, has been with the program for only a few months, but he’s already made a positive impact.
Dampier arrived as an exciting addition to the quarterback room, given his individual accomplishments this past season.
However, above everything else, his leadership could be the key to turning around Utah’s fortunes.
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Devon Dampier’s leadership style is key to Utah football
With Dampier’s experience under Beck, the quarterback provides valuable experience in the offense. However, his mindset entering the program was focused on learning and adapting.
“The biggest thing was that they had a culture here, and we new guys learned the culture,” Dampier said. Just coming in, trust is a big thing; you can’t reach that championship level without it.
“Trust is my biggest thing, and I allow my teammates to see the way I work and they believe in me, and I believe in those guys. I definitely believe the important part is showing it first and I’m always giving 100%” – Devon Dampier
Working under coach Beck has been a really positive experience for Dampier. The two worked really well together last year, and Dampier credits Beck’s trust in him as the key to his dynamic 2024 campaign, which included 2,768 passing yards, 1,166 rushing yards, and 31 total touchdowns.
“That goes back to trust, when coach Beck has me in there, he feels he can call any play,” Dampier said. Him having the freedom to call anything he wants, knowing I’m going to make the best decision possible, means there’s a lot of chemistry between us.
Dampier was adamant about building relationships with all of his teammates. He believes that those relationships are important to building a successful campaign.
Dampier is taking care of the guys who take care of him
“It’s easy,” Dampier stated in response to a question about working behind the Utah offensive line.
“I’m sitting back there, and they’re making all the main calls; I’m helping every once in a while, but those guys are handling everything, and I’m barely getting pressured,” he shared.
As Dampier has made the transition at Utah, the offensive line has been a priority for him. More than a handful of times already, Dampier has taken the offensive line out to eat, and spent quality time with them.
“It’s just that brotherhood,” Dampier said. “I make sure I talk to all those boys, I make sure we go out every week, and make sure we just talk, outside of football.”
Needless to say, Dampier’s leadership has been a welcomed addition to the program. Dampier has worked hard to genuinely earn the trust and belief of his teammates, and has been instrumental in improving the vibes around the program.
Devon Dampier’s transfer recruitment to Utah
Utah landing Dampier was a big win for the program and not something to be taken for granted. Dampier received interest from other Power Conference programs, which were genuine threats to landing him.
The obvious connections benefitted the Utes, but Whittingham, Beck, and the rest of the staff still had to recruit Dampier to Utah. Ultimately, though, that relationship with Beck was key to his decision.
“Going into the portal, a lot of schools ended up reaching out to me” Dampier shared. “Obviously, with coach Beck, I have a lot of trust in him, I just had a great season with him and trust him very much.”
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It wasn’t just the relationship that stood out about a possible move to Utah, Dampier did his homework on the program.
“Just looking into things, Utah’s always been known as a defensive school, and that’s where you win championships,” Dampier said. “Then the O-line already here, we had a great foundation to start at, and with what I can do on offense, I believe we can go far here.”
