Sophomore quarterback for Utah. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 200 lb · Muskogee, OK · Muskogee HS
The numbers
passing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 7 car · 54 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% rushing TDs game. -- Best game: 93 pass yds, 2 TD, 70 rush yds, vs Idaho
Swing playSwung Utah from 42% to 71% to win.Kansas State at Utah · 51-47
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore quarterback for Utah. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Buzz vs Tape
The rival fanbase is unexpectedly warm on him relative to his own.
Super easy Big 12 schedule and they brought back their QB, their best RB, and have a few other playmakers like Byrd Ficklin. If they somehow beat BYU this year, they're probably in the conference title game with like 10 or 11 wins
Also worth knowing:
Byrd Ficklin
Byrd Ficklin has played for two head coaches in two seasons at Utah. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: Big 12 Freshman Player of the Week. The receipt on tape: 93 pass yds, 70 rush yds against Idaho, Week 1, 2026.
166 PASS YDS · 2 PASS TD · 117 RUSH YDS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
FRESHMAN HONORS
Freshman recognition (2025)
2 mention(s)
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 4/8 | 93 | 2 | 0 | 11.6 | 80.1 | Season-high 93 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 43-10vs Arkansas | 2/4 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 23.7 | |
| Wk 3 | W 33-0vs Utah State | 3/5 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 6.6 | 55.4 | |
| Total | 9/17 | 166 | 2 | 0 | 9.4 | 53.1 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–14
vs Idaho
93 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.1 · 70 rush yds (8 car)
Dominant 52-point win at home against Idaho.
With D. Dampier — 176 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.5 · 31 rush yds (6 car) · B. Pegan — 12 rush yds (1 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
Since week 2: +33 passing yards.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: interceptions (93rd percentile). Strength: yards / att (91st percentile). Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | TD/g | YPA | INT/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 55.3 | 0.7 | 9.4 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | TD/g | YPA | INT/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 55.3 | 0.7 | 9.4 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
Pass share
44.4%
91 pass / 114 run
Plays / game
68.3
3 games
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
Our Heisman model has him inside the top 25; he is not on a published award watch list yet.
The No. 1,014 recruit in the country is starting at quarterback in the Big 12 as a sophomore.
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peaked at #43 this season.
2025: Played in 12 games during his freshman season, scoring 13 total touchdowns. Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 27) Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Week (Oct. 27, Nov. 17) Completed 21-of-35 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 61 times for 513 yards…