Utah quarterback Devon Dampier is entering his senior season.

---

Losing Kyle Wittingham could’ve been a disaster for the Utah Utes. Fortunately, it looks like that won’t be the case. 

The Utes opted to keep defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley around, elevating the nameplate in front of his desk to head coach. He’s familiar with the program, having been there since 2007 as a graduate assistant and playing there from 2001-2004, and also helped retain key players to keep them relevant in the Big 12. 

Keeping quarterback Devon Dampier might have been the biggest win Utah could’ve secured in the offseason. Dampier easily could’ve followed Wittingham to Michigan, but Scalley had enough pull to bring back the reigning seventh-best quarterback in the country, according to BiteScore, in 2025. Dampier finished the 2025 season with 2,490 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, along with 835 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground. 

He will be, without a doubt, the face of the Utah offense in 2026. 

Having running back Wayshawn Parker and wide receiver Braden Pegan, a transfer from Utah State, won’t hurt either. Parker logged 981 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, leading the Utes in their ground attack. For the Aggies, Pegan brought in 926 yards and five touchdowns. 

Kyri Shoels, a senior wide receiver who’s joining the Utes from San Jose State, logged 768 yards and two touchdowns last season. He should be a solid complementary piece alongside Pegan, among others. 

There were a few losses on defense, some of whom followed Whittingham to Ann Arbor, that made Utah bleed a little. Gaining the production of defensive end John Henry Daley, defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea and cornerback Smith Snowden won’t be easy and Scalley, a defensive development and game-planning mastermind, will have to work around it. 

Safety Jackson Bennee, the eighth-best returning safety with a BiteScore of 7.76, will be one of the best for Utah on the defensive end. He logged 64 total tackles, five pass deflections, four interceptions and half a sack. His all-around production will be much-needed on a new-look Utah defense this season. 

Senior linebacker Johnathan Hall is the team’s returning leader in tackles, having recorded 67 in total last season. He will, alongside Bennee, be crucial in maintaining the culture that’s surrounded Utah’s defense in past years. 

Even after losing some key players on defense, Utah still looks primed to be one of the best teams in the Big 12. Pressure will be on Scalley in his first season as the leading man, along with Dampier, to lead them further than it’s been. 

11 wins is not impossible for the Utes, with an easier schedule on the horizon.

Follow msstamps7 on Twitter/X for more CFB coverage.