Analyst puts Utah’s QB duo high on the national list heading into 2026

Utah’s quarterback room is entering the 2026 season with increased national attention after CBS Sports analyst Blake Brockermeyer placed the Utes among the top situations in college football. In his mid-summer list of the nation’s top quarterback rooms, Brockermeyer ranked Utah No. 3 behind Oregon and Texas, with his evaluation centered on the experience and run-pass threat each quarterback brings.

The specific matchup Brockermeyer highlighted involves Utah’s two primary options, Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin. The storyline is not only that both players have played meaningful snaps, but that their styles can change how defenses approach Utah’s offensive play-calling. Brockermeyer wrote that Utah has “one of the more intriguing quarterback rooms in the country because both of its top options have experience, and both can beat defenses with their legs.”

What gives the ranking traction is how Utah’s offense functioned with Dampier and Ficklin both making an impact in their first season as teammates. According to Deseret News, the duo accounted for more than 4,000 yards of total offense combined in 2025. The same report also points to how Utah used both players to create production across the passing and running dimensions.

Deseret News further broke down their rushing production from the 2025 campaign. Dampier finished second on the team with 835 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Ficklin was third with 513 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. The outlet also credited the combined pair for 47 total touchdowns across the season as Utah went 11-2 and finished among the top programs nationally.

The ranking also rested on the distinction between “starter” and “explosive backup.” Brockermeyer’s list frame, as described by Deseret News, portrayed Utah as having a quarterback room where the offense does not necessarily have to reset when the personnel packages shift. That is a practical advantage for a program preparing for a second year together, because it can help maintain a coherent offensive identity through different in-game looks.

There is also an internal continuity angle to Utah’s situation. Deseret News described Dampier as a fourth-year senior returning for 2026, while Ficklin was entering his second college season. That means the Utes are not simply relying on a single emerging quarterback, but on two report-callers with some shared context and a track record of producing yards and touchdowns in the same system.

As training camp and preseason work progresses, the key question for Utah will be how the coaching staff turns this “two-threat, two-personel” evaluation into consistent weekly execution. Brockermeyer’s ranking is an opinion, not a season forecast, but it underscores what opponents will watch for: whether Utah can keep defenses guessing with both Dampier’s and Ficklin’s run-pass capabilities rather than forcing everything through one standard quarterback template.

Even with the praise, fans should treat the list as an early assessment of roster potential. The 2026 season will ultimately sort out how much of 2025’s production transfers, particularly in areas like efficiency, down-to-down passing, and how well the Utes handle game-to-game defensive adjustments. Still, the national attention is a sign that Utah’s quarterback room, already productive, is being viewed as one of the more dangerous and flexible groups entering the year.