Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham said the Utes have now clarified the situation with the conference.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) warms up as Utah gets ready to host Cal Poly, NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier was clearly not himself against Texas Tech.

In the lead up to Utah’s 34-10 loss to the Red Raiders, Dampier was seen wearing a brace on his right ankle while talking to former Utah coach Urban Meyer. The post was later deleted from Utah’s social media account on X.

Indeed, Dampier missed two practices and was limited in another session last week, head coach Kyle Whittingham acknowledged on Monday.

But even though he was dealing with an injury, Dampier was not listed on the weekly player availability report now mandated by the Big 12 Conference.

In a statement released on Monday night, Whittingham said Dampier was not listed on the report “because while he was limited in practice early in the week, his status of playing … was never in question.”

According to the conference’s rules, “when an institution becomes aware that a student-athlete may be unable to participate in an upcoming game for any reason (including, but not limited to, injury, illness, suspension, ineligibility, or personal matters), it is required to accurately indicate the student-athlete’s participation status” on the weekly report.

“We have spoken to the conference and have clarified guidelines moving forward‚” Whittingham’s statement continued.

After practice on Monday evening, the Utah quarterback said he always knew he would play against Texas Tech.

“I was suited up all week,” Dampier said. “Last week, you know, my availability was never in question. Now it’s onto West Virginia. Let’s go attack it.”

Whittingham said the “hope” is that Dampier’s injury is not long-term.

“We hope not,” Whittingham said. “We never discuss injuries here, other than the injury report, so you know, we’ll just have to see how it goes. I think he’s in a better place — well, I know he’s in a better place right now — this Monday than he was last Monday. So that bodes well.”

When asked about his health after practice Monday, Dampier shared similar optimism.

“Oh, [I’m feeling] great,” Dampier said. “I think a lot of our players are feeling great, also.”