As Utah football opens camp, offensive identity becomes focal point in new system

SALT LAKE CITY — On paper, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck believe they have what it takes on offense to be really good this season.

Look no further than true dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier and arguably the best offensive line unit in Utah history, anchored by two potential NFL first-round picks in Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano.

But the rest of how it will all come together is still somewhat of a mystery, Beck said.

That's not to say Utah is still piecing together an offense on the first day of fall camp. It's more a question as to what the true identity of the offense will be this season with the roster Utah rebuilt mostly through the transfer portal.

There will be an emphasis to establish the run at the beginning — and Utah will operate in a no-huddle, up-tempo system — but whether the identity is more run-based or pass-based throughout the season remains to be seen, and likely won't be fully established until the team takes the field on Aug. 30 against UCLA.

But Beck isn't trying to figuratively shove a square peg into a circular hole; he's open and ready to adapt his playbook to what will best suit the team's strengths.

It's a similar model he's utilized wherever he's coached, and most recently with New Mexico, where he helped the team to the fourth-best offense in the FBS.

Beck said the expectations going into last season were that New Mexico had several skills players — about 5-6 receivers — who could be the star of the offense. But the preseason expectation didn't pan out early and he was forced to pivot.

"Some of those guys were struggling to consistently make plays, and our running backs were rising up in what they were doing, and so that thing shifted in that course," he said. "And there became two receivers and a tight end that we really relied on, and then it was all these running back guys. And so the offense kind of molded more that direction."

In the case of Utah, "the most predictable" asset is Dampier and the offensive line, Beck said.

"It's the other spots that are more the what direction is this going to take with the dependable playmaker, guys you trust, and kind of the offense molding, shifting that direction," Beck said.

"We really just want to put the right guys in the right places to make plays," he added. "We want to adapt to what our strengths are and play to those strengths. ... But year-to-year, that thing always shifts to who's your personnel and what are their strengths. And some years that's more passing, some years that's more running. So that thing will vary, because we want to play to our strengths."

And there's no shying away from the potential of Dampier, who Beck said is a "capable" passer and not just a talented runner.

"This is not a thing where we were running him more because he was not capable as a passer," Beck said. "It was just — and he'll continue to develop that way — it was really just the pieces around him and what we could do led to him being more involved in the run game."

He was the guy last year — and will be to potentially a similar extent — where if the coaches needed someone to get a first down, he was their guy. The hope for Utah is that there's more players than just Dampier and the veteran offensive line this season.

"Coach Beck is the coach that looks for the best out of his players, and he finds a way to get them in their best situation," Dampier said. "So different guys can do different things, and we explore those talents."

Those talents will likely include talented sophomore running back Wayshawn Parker — who said Wednesday he's shooting for over 1,000 rushing yards — and do-it-all athletes Nate Johnson and Hunter Andrews. There's also potential star receivers Tobias Merriweather and Larry Simmons, among others, who could factor in heavily.

There's also fellow New Mexico transfers Na'Quari Rogers (RB) and Ryan Davis (WR), or UNLV running back transfer Devin Green, Utah State tight end transfer Otto Tia, or freshman tight end JJ Buchanan. Or maybe it's the veteran tight end Dallen Bentley, or returning receivers Daidren Zipperer and Luca Caldarella.

Oh ... and then there's the news that Whittingham made at Big 12 media days about linebacker Lander Barton and defensive back Smith Snowden potentially having a role on the offensive side of the ball, too.

It all remains a work in progress with a month until kickoff.

But Whittingham is optimistic about the early direction of his offense, especially with how prepared the group has come in on Day 1 of fall camp — mostly due to player-run practices that have largely been organized by Dampier and other team leaders.

"I thought today was a really good start," Whittingham said. "One thing that was really impressive, contrasted with spring, is the way offense operates, as far as just subbing the groups in and out, getting plays underway, just the operation itself was much cleaner. It was very evident and very obvious that these guys have worked a lot on their own this summer on the execution and the timing stuff."

"This is what you dream for," Dampier added. "Getting closer to the season, we've got high expectations during these practices. I think we made a good impression on the first day."

Now it comes down to making more good impressions throughout camp and the season.

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