Byrd Ficklin trusted Wayshawn Parker to make a play — and the two delivered for Utah football

SALT LAKE CITY — Before Utah football took the field against Arkansas, Wayshawn Parker made a promise to Byrd Ficklin.

The Utes had practiced the play throughout the week, and Parker felt like there was going to be a good chance Ficklin would get the opportunity to make the throw.

“We practiced it,” Parker said. “I told him, ‘Throw the ball up to me, just know I’m coming down with it.’ And that’s what he did. And I kept my promise.”

And the two didn’t have to wait long, it was Utah’s very first offensive snap of the night.

This is a SICK play from Utah 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AG0g1BZt1n

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) September 13, 2026

For Ficklin, the matchup was too good to pass up.

“Who’s gonna take Way on the backside?” Ficklin said. “They kind of forget how fast Way is, how Way can catch.”

Parker was isolated on the backside of the formation against a linebacker and Ficklin made a great throw that traveled an estimated 51.5 yards.

Utah immediately showed another layer of an offense that has become increasingly fun to watch. And that play set the tone for what was to come the rest of the night.

Wayshawn Parker’s role continues to evolve

The catch offered another example of the way Utah has expanded Parker’s role this season. And his night would only get better from there. He finished the game with 129 total yards and three total touchdowns.

Through two games, Parker has amassed 212 total yards and scored six touchdowns. He leads the Big 12 in touchdowns and is seventh in total yards from scrimmage.

He has become more than simply the primary running option in the Utes’ backfield. Kevin McGiven has made a deliberate effort to involve him in the passing game and take advantage of his ability in space.

That development has not surprised Parker.

“My dad always told me that I got good hands,” Parker said. “I told Coach McGiven, we had a long talk and he told me that he was gonna put me in that pass game, and he’s doing that.”

Parker’s path has required plenty of adjustment along the way. He has learned three different offensive systems in three seasons, with each asking him to emphasize different parts of his game.

This version of Utah’s offense is giving him opportunities to put those pieces together. The production has followed.

Parker has scored three touchdowns in each of Utah’s first two games, but he does not believe his early-season production represents his ceiling.

“I feel like I can still put more on the table,” Parker said. “I feel like I could have had a fourth touchdown, but it’s OK. I’m still aiming for more.”

Byrd Ficklin gives Utah a truly dynamic option

Ficklin’s role has developed in a different way. Devon Dampier remains Utah’s starting quarterback, but the Utes have found ways to put Ficklin on the field with Dampier.

Ficklin has taken snaps at quarterback, lined up in the backfield and moved around the formation. Against Arkansas, Utah even showed a package that put Ficklin, Dampier, Parker and Daniel Bray lined up next to each other in the backfield.

“It might look crazy to y’all and like, ‘What’s going on?’” Ficklin said. “But to us it’s kind of like, all right, let’s go.”

That confidence has come through repetition. But for an opposing defense, it creates uncertainty. Multiple players can run the football, and Utah can shift responsibilities without substituting.

Ficklin said Utah worked through the different formations and responsibilities during spring practice and fall camp. The concepts have become familiar enough that he can often recognize his assignment as soon as Dampier communicates the formation.

It has allowed Utah to use Ficklin as something more than a traditional backup quarterback.

Ficklin and Dampier making it work

The arrangement also requires cooperation between Utah’s two quarterbacks. Ficklin said his relationship with Dampier has strengthened over the past year, particularly as the Utes have experimented with ways to put both players on the field.

The two regularly communicate about their roles within different concepts and where each player can be most effective.

Most times, Dampier remains at quarterback while Ficklin becomes another skill player defenses must account for. Sometimes Ficklin takes the snap while Dampier moves elsewhere in the formation.

I LOVE Utah’s 2-QB Package pic.twitter.com/yodwtxVuJW

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) September 13, 2026

“We always try to help each other be in the best position,” Ficklin said. “People don’t see what me and Dev do behind the scenes, what we do at practice.”

Ficklin then shared that he and Dampier help shape Utah’s two-quarterback packages. They discuss with each other potential adjustments and where each could line up, and how they could work together. It also highlights the special relationship they have as quarterbacks.

That understanding and willingness to work together has given Utah a very unique layer of offense.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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