⚡ CFB Dashboard

There's an adage in football: "If you have two quarterbacks, you have none." That phrase still gets thrown around by football pundits today, but the 2026 Utah Utes are proving that's not always the case. Kevin McGiven's offense has frequently featured Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin together. Both quarterbacks are incredibly dynamic, and having them share the field has put defenses in a tough spot. Ficklin is the perfect Swiss Army knife in the Utes offense. He can line up at quarterback, running back, or receiver. Dampier can do all three as well, and when he motions out of the backfield, defenses have to respect his speed and keep an eye on the Utes' starting signal caller. We heard Ficklin's role in the offense would grow in 2026, and that has already proven true. Outside of Parker, you could argue that Ficklin is the team's second-best rushing option. Last year he averaged over eight yards per carry, and this year he's already averaged over nine. Some starting quarterbacks would view Ficklin's skill set as a threat to steal snaps, but instead Dampier has embraced his backup. The two have become close friends and love to see one another succeed. Dampier even pushed the Utes staff to incorporate Ficklin into more packages. What's been great for Utah is that both players have not just proven they can succeed together but rather thrive. Look at the first play of last week's game. Ficklin lined up at wide receiver, and before the snap, went in motion running behind Dampier. The former Big 12 newcomer of the year then threw a backward pass to Ficklin before the Utes backup threw it 60 yards downfield to Parker. It shows the trust and confidence that McGiven has in his backup to turn to him for such a big play to open the game. Utah's willingness to embrace its two quarterbacks has unlocked a whole new dimension to the offense. Having two quarterbacks on the field forces defenses to adjust constantly, especially when they don't know who's taking the snap. There were several plays last game where Utah broke the huddle and had both quarterbacks initially line up at receiver, before eventually having one come back in the backfield.   Another great example of just how challenging this Utah offense is to defend with both quarterbacks came later in the game. Ficklin took the snap and handed it to Dampier, who then pitched it back to Ficklin after reading the defensive end. Ficklin then ran for a first down in yet another example of why accounting for not one but two athletic quarterbacks isn't easy. The Utes shifts, motions, and constant personnel changes make it tough to keep track of who has the ball and where it's going. Kevin McGiven has unlocked something special with the Utah offense by pairing Dampier and Ficklin. Both players have the speed and shiftiness to make defenders miss and can hit receivers in strides for big plays. We knew the Utes had one of the best quarterback rooms in the country, but they also might have one of the best offenses in the country thanks to both players.