Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Utah Utes announce Big 12 media day representatives

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 3:55 PM ET

Last year, the Utah football program headed down to Las Vegas for its first Big 12 media day experience as a member of the conference.

Going into year two, the Utes will send four standouts to go with head coach Kyle Whittingham to Frisco, Texas, for the 2025 Big 12 media days.

Utah's Devon Dampier, Spencer Fano, Smith Snowden and Lander Barton have been selected to represent the program next week at Ford Center at The Star, otherwise known as the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, for Big 12 media day.

Dampier headlines a lengthy list of incoming transfers to the Utes this upcoming season. The 5-foot-11 quarterback is quite the dual-threat athlete to handle in the backfield, as evidenced by his productivity through the air and on the ground last season at New Mexico. Dampier's coming off a 2024 campaign in which he threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns, on top of rushing for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Dampier will have one of the top-ranked offensive line units in the country protecting him over the course of his first year in Salt Lake City, headlined by the 6-foot-5 Fano at right tackle. After bursting onto the scene as a freshman, the Spanish Fork, Utah, native asserted himself as one of the most dominant tackles in the sport last season, taking home All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and the Associated Press, in addition to landing on the All-Big 12 first team.

Snowden will join this year's representatives at conference media day following a breakout sophomore campaign. The 5-foot-10 cornerback is coming off 48 total tackles, including four for loss, to go along with eight pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble. Snowden notably put the cherry on top of Utah's regular season finale against UCF with a 13-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 28-14 victory over the Knights.

Barton leads Utah's linebacker corps as the team's leading tackler in 2024. The 6-foot-5 rising senior started all 12 games and recorded 72 tackles, including five for loss, plus four pass breakups, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Big 12 media days will take place July 8-9 at the Dallas Cowboys’ global headquarters, with both days being broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN+. Portions of the broadcast will be on ESPN2 as well.

As reported by Action Network's Brett McMurphy, the Big 12 has decided to cut the conference's preseason media poll, which would normally be released to the public during media days. But after Arizona State — picked to finish last in the standings heading into 2024 — unexpectedly won the league in its first season as a member, the Big 12 will stick to all-conference teams to recognize individual player talent.