Utah Football: Previewing Potential Storylines At Big 12 Media Days
Jul 7, 2025, 9:00 AM | Updated: 2:31 pm
Utah Football aims for Big 12 title ahead of 2024 season (Photo: KSL Sports)
(Photo: KSL Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY – 16 football programs will convene at The Star in Frisco, Texas, this week for Big 12 media days. Kyle Whittingham and four of his most trusted Utah football athletes will represent the program on July 9, the second day of the two-day event.
Quarterback Devon Dampier, offensive tackle Spencer Fano, linebacker Lander Barton, and cornerback Smith Snowden will be the ones accompanying the head man.
Both days will be broadcast in their entirety on ESPNU and ESPN+, with portions of the event broadcast live on ESPN2 for the first time.
These #UBOYZ are headed to The Star on July 9 for @Big12Conference Media Days‼️ Catch y’all in Frisco, TX🤠#GoUtes | @Good2GoBar pic.twitter.com/rCZ10qCEFW
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) June 30, 2025
Here are six potential talking points of interest for Utah football and the Big 12.
Devon Dampier’s presence among a strong crop of Big 12 QBs
What should be one of the biggest conference storylines this season is the quarterback play. The Big 12 is loaded with good quarterbacks. Headlined by signal callers like Sam Leavitt, Sawyer Robertson, and Avery Johnson, the conference features returning starters at nine programs.
For Utah, the Cameron Rising era is officially over—the quarterback’s illustrious but injury-riddled career came to an unceremonious end last season. Rising has since announced he’s been forced to retire, and will transition to coaching at his high school alma mater.
Whittingham and staff have brought in Devon Dampier to lead the program into a new chapter. A dynamic dual-threat quarterback with 2,768 passing yards, 1,166 rushing yards, and 31 total touchdowns last year. That dynamic ability will be instrumental in Utah’s potential turnaround this season.
Dampier comes to Utah with full command of the offense he’ll be executing this fall. A unique luxury afforded by the fact that he followed his New Mexico offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, to Utah, which should help him in his transition to a higher level of competition.
Adding Dampier, along with Colorado’s Kaidon Salter and Houston’s Connor Weigman, to the list of quarterbacks in the conference only enhances its outlook.
Thoughts on the Trench Warfare in the Big 12
Beyond quarterback play, it seems the difference could come down to the big guys on the line of scrimmage. Getting a better feel for how every program feels about their trench-play will be interesting.
The offensive line is Utah’s comfort zone. Spencer Fano, an All-American in consecutive seasons, anchors the unit and projects as a future first-round pick. Caleb Lomu is on a very similar trajectory following a Freshman All-American campaign last season. Three other returning starters, and Whittingham is quite bullish on his O-line.
On the other side of the ball, Utah is well-known for its rich tradition along the defensive line. Every year, Whittingham just seems to reload with quality play along the defensive front. Can’t take that for granted, but Lewis Powell and Luther Elliss have raved about their position groups.
Other programs may not have the reputation that Utah does in the trenches; however, many are working to change that tune. Coaches like Chris Kleiman, Matt Campbell, and Joey McGuire are raising the bar of their play along the line of scrimmage, and many programs return quality starters on both sides of the line.
What’s the word around the Big 12?
Utah isn’t the only piece of the puzzle. The Big 12’s 16-team mishmash is fighting for playoff relevance and parading unprecedented parity, so much so that conference leadership axed the media poll.
Going into the 2025 season, depending on where you look, you’ll find four or five teams listed as favorites in the conference. The competition in the league is fierce, and the race is wide open.
It will be interesting to see how other program representatives and media members view the Big 12.
Even beyond predictions and projections, there are currently so many interesting, if not pressing, storylines to learn about over the two-day event. Texas Tech’s rise as a high-powered recruiting force. BYU is dealing with the fallout of quarterback Jake Retzlaff’s impending transfer following a violation of the school’s honor code. Rich Rodrigues and Scott Frost will make their Big 12 debuts in reunions with former employers.
Then, of course, what will Brett Yormark and conference leadership have to say at the event?
Revenue-sharing and its impact on recruiting
Commissioner Yormark, never shy about making bold proclamations, has been unwavering in his belief that the Big 12 would “continue to recruit at an elite level,” even as national pundits wondered how the league would adjust without Texas and Oklahoma.
There’s no denying that recruiting has become harder in a landscape dominated by SEC and Big Ten budgets. But the Big 12’s strategy under Yormark has been aggressive, and that posture has paid some dividends on the trail.
There have been headline-grabbing commitments to Big 12 programs recently. Learning more about how revenue-sharing has impacted college football recruiting, specifically within the conference, should be a hot topic.
Thoughts on Utah’s offensive reset
Utah overhauled its offensive attack by first hiring Jason Beck as offensive coordinator. In theory, Beck’s offensive philosophy seems to complement Whittingham’s physical, trench-first brand of football rather than clash with it. But in practice? That’s the question everyone will be asking.
The Utes’ offense the past few years has too often looked like a glorified punt drill, grinding out short gains while explosive plays felt like rare accidents. Beck was hired specifically to change that narrative — to keep the downhill running identity intact while finding ways to stretch the field and reignite the offensive side of the ball.
His challenge will be to get more juice out of a new quarterback room and open up the passing game without sacrificing the toughness Whittingham demands. Gaining insights into what other programs might be thinking about Utah’s new offense will be interesting.
Big 12 Rivalry Talk
Why do we need them? Simple: rivalries fuel the passion for college football. They create storylines that extend beyond the scoreboard—divisive debates among family and friends, social‑media wars that rage longer than the game itself, etc.. And the Utah-BYU rivalry has certainly regained some heat this past year.
What’s this week going to bring on the rivalry front? How do other programs and media members view the Utah-BYU rivalry?
Conference-wide, what are the prevailing thoughts about Farmageddon being played in Dublin, Ireland?
There has been so much change in the Big 12 in recent years. Are new rivalries starting to emerge?
Utah football’s Dampier, Fano, Snowden, Barton to represent at Big 12 Media Days
Those four players will represent the Utes this week. These four represent a significant moment for the program, as they usher in the next chapter of Utah football.
For the last four years, Utah has had familiar faces in place with guys like Cameron Rising, Brant Kuithe, Junior Tafuna, and Karene Reid. All four have moved on from the program, and Utah has pivoted to new leadership to lead them into the 2025 season.
This has provided an opportunity for others to step up and provide the leadership the program needed. Fano, Barton, and Snowden have been with the program for a few years now and have played key roles in its success. Meanwhile, Dampier has taken control of the offense and shown the qualities needed to lead that side of the ball.
Change can be challenging, but it can also be exciting and provide significant benefits, and will ultimately be a key factor for an improved Utah in 2025.
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