Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2) gestures to the crowd in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Utah lost 23-10. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
It’s gone by fast.
Utah enters its fifth and final week of spring practice on Tuesday and will hit the field three times ahead of Saturday’s “22 Forever” spring game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
With nine practices and two scrimmages under their belt, Utah’s coaches have been able to take stock and evaluate their roster, especially the newcomers.
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Here are five players who have stood out for Utah this spring.
Devon Dampier, QB
As we’ve reported in the past month, Utah’s new quarterback has made quite the impression since landing in Salt Lake City. The jovial New Mexico transfer has not only fit in well with the team’s culture since he arrived, but he has become a leader.
Everyone who talks about Dampier mentions not just his play on the field, but also his leadership ability.
“It’s just that brotherhood. I make sure I talk to all those boys. I make sure we go out every week. We just make sure we just talk outside of football. We play football all day, so just being able to get to know guys outside of here, that’s really important to me,” Dampier said.
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On the field, Dampier has brought an exciting new dimension to Utah’s quarterback room with his dual-threat ability. A year ago in Albuquerque, he racked up 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air and 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground and hopes to replicate some of that success at the next level up from the Mountain West Conference.
So far, reviews out of camp have been positive. Dampier’s chemistry with his offensive line has been good, and the experienced group has given him plenty of time to work with.
Dampier’s scrambling and running have extended plays over and over during media viewing sessions, buying him some extra time to find an open receiver or run for first downs himself.
It helps that offensive coordinator Jason Beck was his play-caller at New Mexico so he can fit in as seamlessly as possible at his new school, and by all accounts, that’s what’s happened.
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Now, the next step is to see how it all looks on the field this fall.
“With Dev, it’s a nice, easier start. It’s like having a returning starter for you at the quarterback spot even though it’s with a new team,” Beck said.
Zacharyus Williams, WR
Heading into spring, the biggest question mark on the offensive side of the ball was at the wide receiver position. Leading receivers Dorian Singer and Money Parks ran out of eligibility, leaving two big holes to fill.
Utah went into the transfer portal, grabbing Mississippi State’s Creed Whittemore, Utah State’s Otto Tia and Wyoming’s Justin Stevenson, but also looked internally for players who could step into a bigger role after closing the season strong, like Zacharyus Williams and Daidren Zipperer.
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Williams has emerged as Utah’s WR1 in the spring, according to Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
“He’s the guy that’s making the most plays, getting open, running the best routes, catching the football clean and is really dangerous after the catch,” Whittingham said.
Williams showed off his yards after the catch ability in the season finale against UCF, notching six receptions for 72 yards, including 50 yards after the catch.
He’s flashed that ability in spring practice when delivered the ball from Dampier, and it has Utah’s coaches excited.
“That’s one of his main attributes is after the catch, he can make some people miss and get some that YAC yardage, run after catch yardage. He’s also very good on the jet sweeps,” Whittingham said.
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Final depth chart decisions won’t be made until the fall, where the rest of the receiving pecking order will shake out, but right now, Williams has impressed the most.
Daniel Bray, RB
While Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker, who had 137 carries for 735 yards and four scores in his freshman season, has his grasp on the RB1 role, freshman Daniel Bray has also impressed during his first semester with the program.
Bray has stood out since the very first media viewing session of the spring, impressing with his speed and decision-making in the run game while also proving capable catching passes.
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Bray, who led North Crowley High in Texas to an undefeated season and state championship, could challenge for playing time this fall behind Parker if he keeps up the level of performances that he’s shown this spring.
Jonah Lea’ea, DT
After Junior Tafuna left for the NFL draft and Keanu Tanuvasa transferred to BYU, it left two open starting spots at the defensive tackle position.
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley called solidifying the defensive line the primary concern this spring, so how has it gone?
Aliki Vimahi, who has been with the program since 2020 and has 13 starts under his belt, and Dallas Vakalahi, who started three games in his freshman season last year, are the prime candidates to fill the two starting spots.
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But Utah needs a rotation behind those two players, and it’s looking like DT3 will be redshirt sophomore Jonah Lea’ea, who began his career at defensive end before gaining weight and moving to defensive tackle.
Last year, Lea’ea played in six games, notching two tackles, and Utah is counting on him to take a big step forward this season, and he’s looked the part so far the spring.
“Dallas is really explosive, so is Jonah (Lea’ea). Very active, very athletic. They can do a lot of good things, so they got to continue to develop in those areas and start taking more of a leadership role, which Jonah has done a good job at and is really stepping up doing that,” defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss said.
Smith Snowden, CB
Snowden’s sophomore season couldn’t have gone much better, as he settled into a starting role at nickel back and excelled, becoming one of the Utes’ best defensive players.
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He finished the 2024 campaign with 48 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions, including a pick-six, while also handling kick return duties down the stretch.
Whittingham has indicated that you’ll see a lot of Snowden at nickel this season, with the main battle between Don Saunders and Blake Cotton at outside cornerback with Scooby Davis at the other outside spot, but Snowden will be versatile this season.
Last year, Snowden played 44 snaps at outside corner, but that number should go up in 2025 as Scalley said that the junior “shouldn’t leave the field, as good as he is.”
This spring, Snowden has looked every bit the part of the veteran leader and looks to have elevated his game to another level. In one practice viewing session, he had a “sack” of Dampier, and in another, he broke up two passes.
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This will be a huge year for Snowden personally as he leads the cornerback room.
“Smith being able to play outside and play inside, that’s kind of a guide that leads the whole show and it’s a good competition in that room so far,” Scalley said.
