Observations From Utah Football’s Fourth Week Of Spring Ball Practice
Apr 8, 2025, 11:51 PM
Utah football in week four practice of spring ball. PHOTO courtesy by Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY— Utah football held its ninth practice of spring ball on Tuesday. The media was able to observe the final 20 minutes of practice.
Coming out of Tuesday’s practice, the quarterback play was the biggest takeaway, but there was plenty else to take away.
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— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) April 9, 2025
Observations from Utah football’s week four spring ball practice
During the media observation period, Byrd Ficklin was the first quarterback we watched. He was working with the second unit and was in the middle of a drive.
There were about six plays total,, with a few that showcased Ficklin’s potential as a dynamic dual-threat quarterback. He had two runs that highlighted his athleticism. He weaved his way through the defense for a couple of positive gains. He made an impressive throw in terms of velocity and placement to the sideline, where Zacharyus Williams hauled it in.
Devon Dampier and the first unit then took the field. After a false start penalty, Dampier completed a pass to the sideline while on the run. It was a throw with great placement that led the receiver to the sideline and he was able to gain additional yards.
On the next play, Dallas Vakalahi seemed to completely wreck the play as he bulled his way through the interior of the line, forcing Dampier to escape to his left. Dampier threw a great pass up the sideline about 20 yards for a completion to Creed Whittemore. Unfortunately, Vakalahi drew a holding penalty that negated the play. Then, the next two shotgun snaps were in the dirt, which ended Dampier’s drive.
Isaac Wilson then took the field with the second unit and would orchestrate his best drive of all our observations this spring. Wilson made quick decisions and got the ball out of his hands. He completed consecutive passes to Otto Tia, Daniel Bray, and Mana Carvalho twice. He then made one of the most impressive throws of spring ball, a great back shoulder ball to Tia, which went for about 25 yards.
Wilson eventually got the offense into the end zone on a QB keeper for the only touchdown drive of our observation period.
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Utah’s Swiss army knives Hunter Andrews, Nate Johnson
These two continue to be fascinating players to monitor in spring ball. Their roles seem to evolve every week.
Hunter Andrews was a prominent presence in a couple of drives. His usage continues to surprise, as he looks capable of contributing in both run and pass games. After an impressive outing catching the ball on Saturday, Andrews took a number of handoffs through our observation today.
Similarly, Nate Johnson continues to be involved. He’s really embraced this new role, and he’s been utilized in different ways. Today, he seemed to work as a receiver, catching a pass from Dampier, and yet still took handoffs, too. He generated a couple of really positive gains.
RELATED: Utah Football Scrimmage: Devon Dampier, Pass Catchers Shined
Young defensive players stepping up
Jackson Bennee continues to impress. He showcased his versatility in a sequence of plays. He took on an offensive lineman to set a firm edge against a run play, working to get outside. Then, on the next play, he matched up against Mana Carvalho and seemed to be in a great coverage position.
Jeilani Davis made a couple of plays today, attacking the backfield. He made a tackle for loss on an outside run, tracking it down from behind. Then he blitzed off the edge to sack Ficklin, which also ended the drive.
Kanai Lopes made his presence felt against the run today. He filled the lanes he needed to in order to make the play. He had a few takes that looked like they would’ve been stops for no gain or for loss.
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Utah’s cornerback battle
Smith Snowden and Scooby Davis are clearly the top cornerbacks, but there’s competition throughout the rest of the group, though. Blake Cotton, Donovan Saunders, and Jeremiah Caldwell are battling on the outside. While Jackson Bennee’s emergence seems to have added another layer to this competition.
It’s been interesting to follow the snaps at cornerback. All three are working with both units. Cotton and Saunders have seemed to split an equal amount of reps with the first unit, while Caldwell has worked mostly with the second unit.
With Bennee’s emerging play, he gives Utah an interesting option inside. He’s listed as a safety, but Whittingham shared that he’s the primary option behind Snowden at nickel and has been on the field with two other safeties.
Utah probably won’t gain full clarity on this group until fall camp. The departures from the group have impacted its depth, no doubt about that. Utah will very likely look to address this group in the spring portal. Despite that, there are still good developments going on within it.
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