Devon Dampier spent part of the early summer taking his development into his own hands, arranging a concentrated week of work for himself and several Utah pass-catchers in Arizona. Fresh off a strong 2025 season in which he helped stabilize Utah’s offense, created with his legs, protected the football, and pushed the ball downfield in a campaign that produced double-digit wins, Dampier sees the coming months as a critical opportunity to sharpen the finer points of his game. With questions centered on whether he can lift his play to a level that puts Utah in Big 12 title contention, the quarterback opted to bring teammates into a focused, player-led environment designed to accelerate timing and connection rather than wait for scripted team activities to begin.
Utah receivers line up on an Arizona practice field during a training session organized by Devon Dampier as he helps take ownership of their development.
About two weeks ago, Dampier rented an Airbnb, purchased flights for teammates and brought Braden Pegan, Larry Simmons, Kyri Shoels and Ricky Johnson down to Arizona for a week of offseason development. The grouping was intentional — a mix of experience, size, explosiveness and vertical ability that Dampier and Utah coaches view as important pieces of the receiving room. He worked with his longtime quarterback trainer, Mike Giovando, while also hiring James Everette Jr., who is known around receivers as “The Route God,” to run drills with the pass-catchers. The stated goals were straightforward: refine technique, tighten timing, build chemistry and establish a culture of ownership among the players.
Giovando, who joined the trip as Dampier’s trainer, framed the trip as more than just additional throwing time. “There’s the obvious football things, but to me it was entirely about him taking ownership of his development in a very mature manner,” Giovando said. He emphasized the attitude Dampier displayed, that the responsibility for improvement belongs to the player. “The whole ‘this is on me’ type of attitude, where I’m going to put in the work with my guys and we’re gonna build trust in one another, that’s the big-picture takeaway I took,” Giovando added. That sense of accountability is relevant because the NCAA offseason calendar puts a premium on player-driven work during May, June and July.
The week of work included on-field sessions, position-specific drills and extra time the players chose to spend together outside formal drills. While much of the physical throwing could have been accomplished closer to home in Utah, Giovando noted the value of assembling the group in one place for an uninterrupted block of work. “Throwing and all of that, that could’ve been done in Utah,” he said. “But it shows a little something extra, and it means a little something more, by bringing everyone down to spend a week together and spending as much time together as they did, it was all about building trust.” That investment of time was meant to accelerate the development of shared timing and to give Dampier a clearer picture of how each receiver creates separation and attacks space.
A Utah receiver works through route‑running cones in Arizona drills run as part of Devon Dampier’s offseason training for the group.
Each of the four receivers who made the trip brings different qualities that the coaching staff and Dampier hope to harness. Braden Pegan offers an experienced target with physicality, able to work the intermediate areas and serve as a reliable option in contested situations. Larry Simmons has flashed explosiveness and playmaking ability in the passing game. Kyri Shoels provides vertical speed and the potential to create explosive plays downfield, while Ricky Johnson was singled out for his steady presence through spring drills — showing up consistently and carving out opportunities that drew Dampier’s attention. The week in Arizona was intended to let those traits be refined in concert with the quarterback’s mechanics and decision-making.
Beyond individual ability, the sessions aimed to address schematic execution: hitting intermediate windows, attacking the perimeter and pushing the ball vertically — all actions that depend on timing and mutual trust as much as arm talent. Giovando described the group’s work ethic during the trip, noting how the players committed to a common objective. “I watched the group of guys, they all worked hard, they were working toward the same goal,” he said. “You could really feel the collective effort toward the same goal in those sessions. They didn’t dodge workouts or drills. They worked hard in their sessions together, then spent extra time afterward on their own. They were really committed to getting as much work done as possible.” That willingness to grind through repetition is precisely what timing-based passing games require.
The leadership piece was another reason Dampier organized the trip. Giovando believes the quarterback’s willingness to convene teammates and specialists reflected a level of ownership and direction the program needs from its signal-caller. At the same time, neither Giovando nor Dampier suggested the week constitutes a cure-all. The trip does not guarantee success this fall, nor does it mean the offense is a finished product. There are the normal uncertainties that come with integrating new pieces and adapting to game-speed reads and coverage adjustments. Yet Giovando pointed to how off-field time factored into the bonding process: “They spent so much time together, throwing, working out at the gym, going to dinner, all of that,” he said.
The investment appears to have created a clear buy-in from the receivers. According to Giovando, one of the players told him directly, “I’ll do anything and everything to make sure Dev succeeds this season,” a line Giovando cited as emblematic of the mentality the trip fostered. That kind of verbal commitment, paired with the extra reps and route refinement, leaves Dampier and Utah with tangible practice progress and a deeper sense of relationship among skill players. With the early part of the offseason now behind them and the primary development window in full swing, the quarterback-led initiative in Arizona stands as a documented example of how this group chose to spend its player-directed months — focused on technique, timing and the trust that underpins an evolving passing attack.