SALT LAKE CITY — There is no quarterback controversy at the University of Utah.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be one down the road, but let’s start with right now.
Between junior Devon Dampier and true freshman Byrd Ficklin, the topic of which QB is best right now for the Utes popped up this week in the wake of Ficklin’s optimistic first collegiate start in a rout of Colorado.
Ficklin registered 291 total yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air. Dampier, who injured his ankle in the third quarter of an Oct. 18 loss at BYU, dressed against the Buffaloes, but only in an emergency capacity.
Dampier’s availability Saturday night for a hugely-critical game against Cincinnati should be roughly classified as TBD.
He did not appear on Wednesday’s initial Big 12 availability report, which is an indication that he will be good to play. Although, after going from “questionable,” to “probable,” to available on last week’s injury reports, then not starting, let alone playing, what to expect this week could just be an educated guess.
Here’s the important part to remember, not just for Saturday, but for the rest of the season: If Dampier is healthy enough to play, he’s going to play. He is not going to be sat down in favor of Ficklin, who has all of 31 career pass attempts.
“If a 90% Devon Dampier, we feel, gives us a better chance than a 100% Byrd, that’s just an example, then we go with the guy that we think gives us that best shot,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters Monday morning during his weekly press conference. “And so I can tell you we’ve got a lot of confidence in Byrd, especially after what we saw on Saturday night.
“But Devon is still QB1, make no mistake, there’s no QB controversy of any sort.”
Fair enough, but what about in five months?
A three-star recruit from Muskogee High (Oklahoma), Ficklin came to Utah as a long-term project, behind Dampier and, we thought, Isaac Wilson.
Ficklin has seen mop-up duty in six games, including early wins over UCLA and Cal Poly. Frankly, he looked good, albeit against backups. Still, he has a live arm, is a legitimate dual-threat, and the moment has yet to seem too big.
That was all well and good, but last week against Colorado was a different story. Playing extensive snaps against a first-team defense for the first time, Ficklin ran for 151 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, while going 10-of-22 for 140 yards and two more scores.
Utah Utes quarterback Byrd Ficklin (15) runs down the field during an NCAA football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo: Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
He is clearly green, and he absolutely needs more seasoning as a passer, but one certainly left last week at least intrigued by the possibilities.
Now, a question, and I’ve already asked this in recent Utah football mailbags: Is Dampier the unquestioned starter as a senior in 2026?
Bear with me here.
Whittingham and his offensive staff got a taste of what Ficklin could do in those mop-up appearances, but now you have closer to a full picture after Colorado. Projecting exactly what he can be is impossible, but there is a healthy amount of film and data now.
If Utah believes Ficklin may be its future starter, acting on that instinct and making Dampier re-earn his job next spring and summer should be an option on the table.
Here’s some more food for thought.
Are we sure Dampier and Ficklin are both returning to Utah in the first place next season?
Bear with me again.
Dampier is believed to have signed a multiyear, seven-figure contract with Utah ahead of enrolling in January, but in the NIL and revenue sharing eras, the Utes may have to fend off outside suitors with larger pots of money to offer.
The same idea applies to Ficklin. His play this season, highlighted by the win over Colorado, should yield a raise. Now, it’s just a matter of whether that raise is going to come from Utah or someone else.
Another question.
Given NIL resources and revenue sharing as factors, what should Utah do if it is put in a position where it needs to ultimately choose who to pay between Dampier and Ficklin?
Sleep well on that one, Utah fans.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.