Utah Football’s X-Factors For 2025 Season
May 14, 2025, 10:56 AM | Updated: 1:28 pm
Devon Dampier photo courtesy of Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY—As Utah football gears up for the 2025 football season, several key players and units stand out as potential X-factors—those who could tip the scales between a middling season and a Big 12 title run.
X-factors can come in different forms. They can be high-level performers or even unknown players whose impact can often be a deciding factor in a game or season. They can also be overlooked dynamics that can significantly impact outcomes.
Here’s a look at Utah football’s X-Factors for the 2025 season.
Offensive X-Factors
Utah Starting QB, Devon Dampier
The Utes have placed their bets on dynamic quarterback Devon Dampier as the signal caller to get them back on track. Given his experience under Jason Beck, Utah’s new offensive coordinator, he’s also the pragmatic choice.
In 2024, Dampier showcased his dual-threat capabilities, throwing for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 1,166 yards and 19 scores. Based on last season alone, he’s a dynamic dual-threat. However, he seemed to have improved as a passer during spring ball, which would help his projection.
Utah doesn’t need Dampier to be otherworldly; they simply need him to give the offense a pulse. Dampier should be able to do that, not only in terms of execution but also with his leadership on and off the field.
The O-Block Playing Up To Potential
Utah’s offensive line has the potential to become one of the top units in the country. Utah’s starting tackles, Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, both project as top offensive linemen in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is indicative of the talent along the line. Jaren Kump and Michael Mokofisi are grizzled veterans who have played a lot of snaps for Utah, while Tanoa Togiai really impressed in his first season at left guard.
This is a group that played a lot of snaps together last season and has a lot of potential for improvement this season. Simply said, if and when this group plays up to its potential, it will lead to success. Utah needs this group to be as advertised because its potential truly is among the best in the country.
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Jason Beck’s offense and playcalling
Several individuals could be viewed as X-factors, especially on the offensive side of the ball. However, Beck’s offense and playcalling seem to be a bigger X-factor than any individual skill player.
The offense will be centered around the run game, but will incorporate a more diverse run package. Utah added a couple of receivers to bolster their potential in the vertical passing game, which is also a prominent element of Beck’s offense.
Most importantly, Beck will have the quarterback who operated his system last season at the helm. That gives him a distinct advantage in having the entire playbook at his disposal and trusting the quarterback to execute whatever is called correctly.
Defensive X-Factors
Utah Linebackers
Traditionally, when Utah has good linebacker play, that bodes well for the entire unit. At the same time, the defense struggles when there is inconsistent play from the linebacker positions, and Utah experienced those ups and downs last season.
After losing veteran Levani Damuni in spring ball and captain Karene Reid in week two, the linebacker group lost two pieces viewed as difference-makers. That put a lot on the shoulders of Lander Barton, who was also returning from a significant injury he suffered in 2023.
Barton battled through highs and lows last season and seemed to return to form in the season’s final month. He led the team with 72 tackles, 5.0 for loss, two sacks, two interceptions (one for a touchdown), and six pass deflections.
The injuries also allowed Johnathan Hall to see the field at linebacker. After switching to the position following fall camp, Hall flashed promise but also experienced growing pains. By the end of the season, Hall looked more comfortable and had his best performance of the year against Iowa State.
Utah would benefit tremendously from Barton and Hall continuing on the upward trajectory on which the two finished the season, which is exactly why they are the biggest X-Factors on the defense in 2025.
Rabbit Evans
There are so many options, even in the secondary, but none seem bigger than Rabbit Evans. After joining the program last summer, Evans’ acclimation into the defense took some time. However, he seemed to emerge as the top strong safety position towards the end of the year.
Now, with a full offseason in the program, Evans has settled into his role within the defense. Throughout spring ball, Evans made plays all over the field. Coaches were encouraged by his development, and he seems to have emerged as a disruptive presence.
If Utah gets that out of him this fall, it adds another playmaking dynamic to the secondary. Takeaways were the big focus for the defense in spring ball, and Evans’ emergence would bode quite well for a secondary with an emerging star in Smith Snowden and a dynamic free safety in Tao Johnson.
Freshmen Defensive Linemen
Five freshmen are set to be on the roster this fall. This group is completely unknown yet seems set to play a role this season. The five freshmen include Karson Kaufusi and Sione Motuapuaka, both of whom participated in spring ball. LSU transfer Dilan Battle enrolled early and participated in the Tigers’ offseason. Lastly, Semi Taulanga and Pupu Sepulona are set to join the fray this summer, and both come from highly competitive high school programs.
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Utah will be led by Aliki Vimahi, Dallas Vakalahi, and Jonah Leaea, while 6-foot-4, 297-pound sophomore Mike Tauteoli was put on scholarship this spring. Utah needs to round out that rotation to five, maybe six defensive tackles, which could mean one to three freshmen could factor into the mix. Of the five freshmen, Kaufusi and Battle seem most likely to be in the rotation this fall. Yet, there’s a lot of excitement over the other three, particularly Taulanga.
Utah Football’s Biggest X-Factor: Health, Avoiding Injury
The biggest issue Utah has faced the past two seasons has been games lost to injury. Every program deals with injuries, but Utah’s seemed snake-bitten the last two years. Over the past two seasons combined, Utah has lost over 150 games to injury to players who started the season on the two-deep. Over 60 of those games came from injuries suffered this past season. You’ll never be able to avoid the injury bug altogether, but Utah has plenty of room to benefit.
If spring ball indicates, Utah got through its 15 practices without significant injury (knock on wood, obviously). Perhaps changes have been made to avoid injury better, but Utah would love to have that injury fortune continue this fall.
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In summary, Utah’s success in 2025 will be determined to varying degrees on how well these X-factors perform. If the new offensive pieces click and the defense maintains its traditional toughness, the Utes should be a formidable force in the Big 12.
