(Photo: Joel A. Davidson)

SALT LAKE CITY — In the midst of a promising 2025 season for the Utah Utes, two quarterbacks—Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin—have quietly built one of the most compelling relationships on campus.

Their chemistry is genuine, rooted in friendship and mutual respect: “It’s a really loving relationship between me and my best friend,” Ficklin said recently of his bond with Dampier.

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But there’s a catch: how Utah navigates keeping this tandem together in the evolving world of NIL opportunities could decide whether both stay in Salt Lake City for 2026.

The Utes want both but making it happen means doing more than just winning games.

Back in RES for the final time this season‼️ We nee

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