To redshirt or not? How Utah is handling freshman QB Byrd Ficklin this season

SALT LAKE CITY — The tables have turned for Utah's offense a year after a dismal finish, in which the Utes ended the season 115th (out of 136 teams) in total offense.

New offensive coordinator Jason Beck and his quarterback Devon Dampier have been a breath of fresh air, and the offense has made a big leap to a current landing spot at 18th in total offense.

Outside of one game — an important one at that — the offense has been a free-flowing and efficient system that can adapt to whatever the defense is giving it that day.

Against West Virginia on Sept. 27, the offense put up 290 passing yards en route to a 48-14 win. In contrast, that same offense rushed for 311 yards against Wyoming in a 31-6 win in Laramie. The offense has been diverse and effective.

But hidden in the background has been a potential diamond in the rough.

True freshman Byrd Ficklin has gotten in on some backup duty — mostly in garbage time minutes — but what he's showcased has given the coaching staff a brief look into what the future could look like when Dampier eventually moves on from the program.

Utah is certainly in no rush to see Dampier move on, nor does it fully know what Ficklin can do in a true starting capacity, but the early signs have been encouraging, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham believes.

"We're very pleased with what Byrd's done, I can tell you that much right now. ... He's really made the most of his snaps and has looked very poised and very in control when he's been out there," Whittingham said Monday. "For a true freshman, he seems to be very mature and handles his business very well."

The freshman from Muskogee, Oklahoma, has thrown for 106 yards and one touchdown on a perfect 8-of-8 passing this season, while adding 91 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in four games. He's also returned a 90+ grade in at least two games this season by Pro Football Focus, both of which he played a full quarter — albeit in garbage time.

It's not a large body of work — especially against tougher competition — but it's been enough to give the coaching staff confidence that he could have a major role at Utah in the future.

But with Ficklin already appearing in four games this season — the magic number an athlete can play before a redshirt season can no longer be preserved — Whittingham had a decision to make on his freshman QB: Save a year and redshirt Ficklin or continue to utilize him throughout the season.

For Whittingham, the decision is a no-brainer.

"I would say that there is not a concerted effort right now to redshirt Byrd," he said. "If we're going to play him — well, if he's needed, obviously, then it's any experience that we can get him. So I think the road we've been going down is the road we will continue to go down."

If given the opportunity, Ficklin will continue to see minutes this season and not preserve a redshirt season — a decision that could potentially benefit him more than working solely with the scout team unit in practice settings.

And with the NCAA weighing a decision to eliminate redshirt seasons and give five full seasons of eligibility, the decision to preserve a redshirt season may be a moot point eventually. And if that's the case — a likely move — why limit the reps the freshman can get now?

Assuming Ficklin continues to factor into the equation, it begs the question about his status on the depth chart — admittedly an undefined descriptor for the public under Whittingham this season.

Whittingham has twice said sophomore quarterback Isaac Wilson is the team's QB2 and the hope is to redshirt him this season. But should Dampier need to come off the field for an extended period — and not just garbage time minutes — does that designation stay with Ficklin or the announced QB2 who has yet to take a snap this season?

To that point, Whittingham elected to not answer publicly. But the underlying belief is that Ficklin is the unofficial — or maybe official behind closed doors — QB2 for the season, especially as he continues to showcase his poise and decision-making against Division-I talent.

That, in the end, could pay dividends for the season and future seasons to come — especially for a quarterback who has similar traits and skillsets to the current starting quarterback and has lifted Utah to new offensive heights.

"To be a true freshman and get in there, and the way he's playing — he's playing at a really high, efficient level, making great reads, making great things with the ball," Dampier said. "Yeah, he's one of those guys who only elevate from here."

For Ficklin to continue to elevate he has to play in games, and Utah has no intentions of stifling that progress anytime soon.

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