Offensive revamp, revenue sharing among hot topics as Utah hits Big 12 media stage

FRISCO, Texas — It’s time to talk.

Big 12 media days have arrived, shifting from Las Vegas last year to its traditional spot in Texas. Players and coaches from all 16 teams in the conference are on hand at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, for two days of media activities.

Utah will take center stage Wednesday, with coach Kyle Whittingham, quarterback Devon Dampier, offensive tackle Spencer Fano, cornerback Smith Snowden and linebacker Lander Barton on site to represent the Utes.

Dampier was named the Big 12’s preseason newcomer of the year, while Fano and fellow offensive tackle Caleb Lomu were named to the league’s preseason all-conference team. Both awards were voted on by the media.

Whittingham will address the large media contingent at 11:40 a.m. MDT Wednesday from the main podium, before he and his players make the media rounds, including stops at radio stations and ESPNU.

The Utes will cap off the day with a media scrum — the players going first at 4:45 p.m. MDT and Whittingham finishing things off at 5:30 p.m. MDT.

With the offseason Utah had after a 5-7 campaign in its inaugural season in the Big 12, there’s plenty of storylines and questions entering their appearance at the two-day talkfest. Here are three of the hottest topics Whittingham and company will be asked about.

The offensive revamp

It’s a near-guarantee that Utah’s offense is going to be more fun to watch than last year’s.

With no Cam Rising for much of the season, 2024 was a drag, as the Utes’ offense averaged just 329.8 yards and 23.6 points per game. Despite a defense that kept them in every game but two, Utah’s offense — guided by backup quarterbacks — just kept sputtering, game after game.

It was time to rebuild, and Utah went to work, hiring New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck and getting Dampier to come along. Add in an entirely new running back room (headlined by Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker) and receiver room, and you’ve got a complete revamp.

Dampier, who racked up 2,768 passing yards and 1,166 yards rushing a season ago and scored 31 combined touchdowns, is tasked with reviving Utah’s offense.

Can he adjust well to the step up from the Mountain West and correct some turnover and accuracy issues from last year? Will Beck’s offense, which was the fourth-most productive in the nation and featured some exciting creativity, produce similar results? Can Parker lead the way for Utah’s running backs and continue his trajectory? Can Utah’s wide receiver room produce a few go-to guys?

If even half those things happen, Utah’s offense will be a lot more fun — and productive.

When will Kyle Whittingham retire?

The answer is going to be the same as the last 10 times that Whittingham has been asked about when he is going to retire, but someone will still pose the question. When will Whittingham call it a day?

Retirement speculation heated up last season when Utah officially announced defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as the program’s coach-in-waiting and Whittingham said at last year’s Big 12 media day that he “probably won’t be sitting here in this chair” when Utah opens the 2027 season against Miami in Las Vegas.

Whittingham was asked about the topic on the “Jim Rome Show” recently.

“I would just answer it this way. As long as I’m excited about coming to work every day, have a ton of energy and am passionate about what I’m doing, and as long as my wife continues to support me — she may have the final say on this one when it’s time to quit,” Whittingham said.

“But as long as I’m excited to come to work every single day and be around these players, that’s kind of what I’m gauging on. If there comes a time I wake up and say, ‘Hey, that’s enough. I’ve had enough. I’ve got no energy left and it’s time for me to go.’ So I guess it is kind of vague, I know, but that’s kind of how I’m approaching it. It’s just a year-by-year basis.”

Revenue sharing and NIL

There’s no question that the college football landscape is completely different from five years ago, from conference realignment to NIL and revenue sharing.

As of July 1, schools can officially share up to $20.5 million per year with athletes — the vast majority of that going to football and men’s basketball.

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said the Utes will meet that number.

Additionally, NIL deals will now be sent through a clearinghouse managed by accounting firm Deloitte, which will assess those deals and has the ability to approve or deny each NIL deal according to if it meets “fair market value.”

Texas Tech is one Big 12 school that has been making waves recently, reportedly spending over $10 million on a transfer portal class that ranks as one of the best in the nation. That momentum spread to recruiting, where the Red Raiders are reportedly set to pay at least $775,000 per year for three years to five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo.

Utah, meanwhile, brought back offensive tackles Fano and Lomu, along with key players on defense like Snowden and Barton. Add in all of the transfers — Dampier and Parker were hot commodities on the transfer portal market — and Utah has been spending money, too.

What does Whittingham think of the new era of college athletics, where schools can now directly pay players? We’ll find out.