Emptying The Notebook From Utah Football’s First Spring Scrimmage
Apr 7, 2025, 1:50 PM | Updated: 4:21 pm
Utah's Byrd Ficklin. Photo courtesy of Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football held its first scrimmage of spring ball this past Saturday. Devon Dampier and the passing game shined during the 90 minute session.
It’s a meaningless scrimmage in the grand scheme of things. However, it was the first extensive look for all media members, which helped paint a picture of what this team could become.
Here are some additional thoughts from my notes on Saturday.
Byrd is the word for Utah football
Considering where expectations were before Saturday’s scrimmage, no player impressed more than Byrd Ficklin.
After reviewing Saturday’s notes, “Ficklin” was written down a lot. He completed consecutive passes, gained a couple of first downs with his legs, and quarterbacked a couple of good drives.
The lefty is in the same mold as Dampier. He displayed promise as an athlete and passer in his time on the field.
There’s not a lot on his plate right now in terms of the total offense. However, he executed what he did quite well.
Ficklin still has a lot to learn before expectations rise for him. The defenses still made plays on him, but Ficklin had a very positive outing.
O-line depth is a plus with Ike Garcia, Keith Olson
Utah’s depth along the offensive line is in good shape. With a few linemen absent on Saturday, these two filled in and maintained strong play.
Garcia has worked primarily on the left side over the last two seasons, and he looked comfortable working next to Lomu. He had a couple of really impressive snaps and seems to be making good progress.
Though the run game didn’t produce as much as expected, Olson had a few really standout moments. He generated significant movement and seems well-suited for the spot next to Fano.
Jonno Hall, Rabbit Evans urgency
One thing that stood out was the urgency with which these two played. They made quick decisions and attacked the line of scrimmage.
The two knifed into the backfield several times to disrupt the action. Though they weren’t the ones always making the plays, these two definitely seemed more comfortable in what they were doing.
Karson. Kaufusi.
That was literally my note. Thanks to his combination of size and athleticism, I think he has tremendous potential. I’ve long believed he would be a contributor for Utah in year one, and watching him handle his own on Saturday only furthered that belief.
Utah’s pass rush
Logan and Spencer Fano had a great back-and-forth throughout the day. However, there were takeaways from the others.
John Henry Daley, Lance Holtzclaw, and Jaxson Jones are the most explosive off the snap. Each possesses a good first step and the quick twitch to be disruptive.
Kash Dillon and Paul Fitzgerald seem to be making good progress from a technical standpoint. The two seemed to use their hands the most consistently and used their arm length to their advantage at times, too.
Going up against two All-American candidates at tackle will be tough. However, the difference was noticeable when neither Fano nor Lomu were on the field, the pass rush created havoc, which contributed directly to a couple of turnovers.
Hunter Andrews, Nate Johnson
Both players were heavily involved in the offense on Saturday, and both players were involved in unique ways.
Each caught passes, each took handoffs, and Johnson even took a snap or two.
With the inability to discuss schematics, specifics can’t be addressed, but both were involved in the offensive attack in exciting ways. It seems having unique athletes like Andrews and Johnson could become a sort of featured role in the offense.
Utah’s new run game
Give the defense credit for limiting the run game on Saturday. The Utah defense clearly made the focus of their efforts.
However, there were easily over 12 different types of run plays and at least six different players with a rushing attempt.
Wayshawn Parker didn’t have the biggest day but still popped for a couple of good gains. He runs tough and seems to have good feel for how blocks develop.
Devin Green may have had the longest run of the day for the running backs with a 15+ yard run up the middle. NaQari Rogers also had a couple of tough runs.
Daniel Bray is a truly dynamic back who operates at a different speed and gives the run game added flexibility. He can be used in unique ways and looks like a promising scat-back type of back.
