Byrd Ficklin has become one of the most visible pieces of Utah’s offense early in the 2026 season, and the way he talks about it matches the way the Utes have been playing: fast, flexible, and hard to pin down. Ficklin said the constant movement and shifting roles have made the whole thing feel natural.
“That's a crazy question. I'm having a lot of fun, more than I can explain.”
That joy shows up in the way Utah is spreading the ball around. Ficklin pointed to the way Kevin McGiven has opened things up for multiple players instead of funneling everything through one spot.
“Seeing everybody happy, you know. McGiven has been really good at spreading the love between each athlete.
You see Braden Pegan touching the ball, Creed Whittemore touching the ball, Wayshawn had three touchdowns. Daniel Bray's touching the ball, and we're out there having fun.
Everybody's putting their athletic ability on stage for the world to see.”
One of the clearest examples came on the deep shot to start last week’s game, when Wayshawn Parker got loose down the sideline. Ficklin said the look Utah expected helped create the opening.
“I expected them to pull and run with Braden, so then it became who's going to take Wayshawn Parker on the backside. They forget how fast Way is.
Way can catch, and he's a great standout athlete. He's a great overall player, whether that's lining up in the backfield or playing quarterback.
It sounds crazy what I'm saying, but Way is a really great athlete. So to see him be able to break down the sideline, it was kind of like giving him a chance, and he'll get it.”
With so many moving parts, Ficklin said the learning curve has been less about confusion and more about repetition. Utah has run these looks enough in practice that the details come almost automatically.
“We run the play so much throughout the week of practice. I ran it so much in spring, ran it so much in fall that when Dev tells me the formation, it's like, all right, bet, let's go.
He doesn't even say the full play. He's just like, All right, we're in this formation.
All right, I know what the play is. I know what I'm going to do.
I know the motion. I know what's going to happen.
I know what to expect. I know what not to expect.
And it's the thing that McGiven has instilled in us, especially with Gundy as well, instilling in us to play the play ahead. And that's helped in my memorization of knowing the play.”
Ficklin also said his connection with Devon Dampier goes well beyond what people see on game day. He described a relationship built on constant communication and a shared willingness to move pieces around to make the offense work.
“Me and Dev always talk about each other a lot. It's always been good things, but people don't see what Dev and I do behind the scenes, what we do at practice, what we do outside of practice.
It's always, "Hey, do you know what's going to go on this week? Is there any way we could switch this?
It's Byrd; you can go to quarterback this time; I'll go to running back." Like, it's deeper than what it seems on the field.
Our relationship is a lot stronger than what it was last year. But we always try to help each other be in the best position.
You know, I wouldn't put Dev at an outside receiver to run a goal ball and catch it. It's kind of, hey, you can go to the slot and do this, and I can be at quarterback, or I'm gonna go to the outside, and I'm gonna do this.
You stay at quarterback. I wouldn't want you to be in that position.”
That kind of versatility has shown up in the package Utah has used with Ficklin, Dampier, Bray, and Parker on the field at the same time. Ficklin said the group has turned something that might look chaotic to outsiders into just another snap for the Utes.
“I mean, it's so many things we call it. We have a lot of different names for it, especially about how we line up to get into that formation.
But I mean, to see all four of us back there, it's kind of like a crazy sight to see. It's something you never really see.
But McGiven has been really good at playing around and messing around with these types of things throughout spring and fall, so it's become normal to us. You know, it might look wild to y'all and like, what's going on, but to us it's kind of like, all right, let's go.
Like, it's a next play, next play, next play, next play. We don't think too much about it.”
And yes, that flexibility extends to who handles the pitch in those options. Ficklin said the roles can flip without changing the confidence level.
“Of course. As I said, Dev is a tremendous athlete.
People overlook what he can do on the field outside of quarterback. But at the same time, Dev is the full-blown quarterback, and Dev is just a great athlete, so I'm happy that we're able to switch that position.”
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Moes rise also fits the culture Utah has built, one rooted in toughness and the expectation that every player earns his place. He has talked about his recruitment path, his admiration for Aaron Donald and how being viewed as undersized has fueled him, and he pointed to the chance to prove himself against a strong SEC opponent as part of that motivation. For Utah, the bigger picture is a lineman who believes in the standard around him and seems to be matching it. [Read more 🡒]