CFB insider names Big 12 underdog that will "smash" their way into the conference championship in 2025

ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel believes the Utah Utes will be the team to beat in the Big 12 this season.

Utah is coming off a terrible 5-7 season, where the Utes won two games in the Big 12. However, Thamel expects Utah to be much better this season, and he believes coach Kyle Whittingham will lead them to a Big 12 title.

"I'm going to take Utah," Thamel said on the College GameDay podcast (4:00). "The case for Utah is very simple: they were decimated by quarterback injuries last season, and they only won two league games. They brought in a new scheme, an updated scheme was needed... Utah is going to do what Utah has done, smash you in the face."

Entering the season, Utah has the third-best odds of winning the Big 12 at +600, which implies a 14.3% chance of winning it all.

In the offseason, Whittingham and the Utes added quarterback Devon Dampier from the transfer portal to be their starter. Utah also overhauled its receiver room in the portal to give the team a better chance to win it all.

Utah coach confident in Devon Dampier to lead Utes in Big 12

Kyle Whittingham went out and got Devon Dampier from New Mexico in the transfer portal to be the team's starting QB.

Dampier went 266-for-390 for 2,768 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 1,166 yards. Utah will be a run-heavy team and Whittingham believes Dampier is the QB to lead the Utes to success.

"He's got the respect of his peers, having been voted on the leadership Council. He's got that it factor that you look for in quarterbacks," Whittingham said at Big 12 media day, via SI. "He's got the field general mentality that you look for. He's a guy that everybody gravitates towards. There's no doubt who's in charge on offense."

"It's not like he commands the huddle, but everybody looks to Devon as the leader of the offense, and that's pretty impressive. There's things he needs to work on. We got to get the completion percentage up a little bit higher. We've got to get the touchdown-to-interception ratio a little bit better. But he was just a sophomore last year, and he definitely made improvement in those areas through spring ball."

Dampier and Utah will open their 2025 college football season on Aug. 30 on the road against UCLA. The Utes have notable games against Texas Tech, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, and Kansas.