The Utes have found their quarterback. After teasing everyone on social media yesterday that he found his new home, former New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier has made it official and committed to the University of Utah. Ultimately, the Utes beat out Vanderbilt for the intriguing transfer.

The sophomore signal caller now follows his former Lobos offensive coordinator Jason Beck to Salt Lake City.

“Super excited,” said Dampier, regarding his commitment and decision to follow his offensive coordinator. “In this era of college football, there’s a lot of business going on, so to find a person like (Beck) who has cared for me on and off the field in a genuine way along with the success, couldn’t ask for more.”

Dampier saw action in nine games and one as a starter in his freshman season in 2023, going 40 for 64 for 525 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions. In 2024 as the full-time starter, Dampier threw for 2,768 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns as a true dual-threat quarterback.

The electrifying quarterback has done his homework on what awaits him at Utah. “From a football perspective, (Utah is) a hard-working team that always has the mindset to win games, with the side of having a family atmosphere,” he said. “Fans perspective, one of the best you’re going to get. During games, it feels like the crowd can shift the game towards us at any time giving us the upper hand.”

Dampier comes to Utah with a Ute connection already in place. He and outgoing senior Dorian Singer are "like family", and he calls Singer his "older brother". Because of this relationship, Dampier has already been to games in Rice-Eccles Stadium as a spectator in the crowd.

“I loved the fan base during games, they are always wanting to see success," Dampier said. "Very little did I hear bad things being said when things go wrong. I always believe the team will bounce back better and as a QB that’s all I can ask for. It encourages me to know if our O gets a 3-and-out, myself and the crowd know we’re going back out there putting points on the board.”

Despite the bumps in the road that hit the Utah program in the last two years, largely due to key injuries, Dampier sees what the program is set up for and capable of.

“I feel very honored to play in front of such a fan base, they are truly on top,” he said. “I want them to know I’m coming for it all this year, playoff contenders no doubt.”

What Utah is Getting

Dampier averaged 230 yards per game passing and 97 yards per game on the ground, providing an exciting spark during an otherwise disappointing 5-7 season for New Mexico. He will need to clean up the interceptions, but those should decrease as he builds up his experience. With two years of experience in Beck's offensive system, it should make him the odds-on favorite for the starting quarterback position in Utah regardless of who else joins this offseason.

Dampier understands what has made Utah Football successful over Kyle Whittingham's tenure, and he’s looking forward to being a key piece to the puzzle.

“O-line and defense (are strengths), and they want to make the college playoffs,” said Dampier. “The team I am coming to has been known for their reliable defense, so to know I can bring success to the offensive side of the ball with an outstanding line who win the trenches and get stops, we’ll be a tough team to beat. I see us being a real playoff contender and all I want to do is win.”

What This Means For the Class

Dampier is the first of what is expected to be many incoming transfers to the program for what appears to be one of the busiest transfer portal seasons in Utah's history.

One thing is for sure, Dampier has immediately turned from recruit to recruiter, saying he’ll be heavily involved in the process going forward.

“I’m a QB that likes to have a connection with everyone on the team, and be a guy people can go to when they are struggling,” said Dampier. “Then I’ll always be there for their successes. I believe you can get the full potential out of someone if they know you care for them on a serious level, not just for personal benefits.”

Dampier is encouraged by what he believes is about to come.

“Excitement," he said. “With the guys already here and guys being brought in there’s no doubt in my mind touchdowns will come often.”