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Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson is reportedly entering the transfer portal in January. He does not plan to return to the team next year.
The gunslinger is the little brother of NFL passer Zach Wilson. He was demoted as a sophomore raising question marks about his future in Salt Lake City.
Wilson is the first of his four brothers to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Each of his football star siblings attended BYU. He bucked the trend by signing with his mom and dad’s alma mater.
In Year 1, he saw the field often. As a freshman, he was forced into the starting lineup due to injuries. His play was up and down, as one would expect in a college debut.
Wilson threw for 1,510 yards across nine games. He totaled 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
He became the first true freshman in program history to beat a Top 15 team in a start vs. Oklahoma State. He was also benched… twice.
The highs were high. The lows were low. The roller coaster ride was made more erratic by a staff shakeup.
Utah’s offensive coordinator stepped down midseason. His replacement later moved onto UMass. It created a dilemma for the first-year quarterback.
Isaac Wilson entered the transfer portal.
There was a belief that he was eyeing a move to rival BYU. That ultimately wouldn’t happen. Wilson pulled his name back out of the portal to return to Utah. New offensive coordinator Jason Beck convinced him to stay.
He did so despite already having a handpicked QB1 in mind.
Beck came over from New Mexico. He brought dual threat passer Devon Dampier with him. There was no quarterback competition. Dampier was going to be the starter.
Wilson was expected to be first off the bench ahead of freshman Byrd Ficklin, who made a signing day flip from Texas State the week Beck was hired.
Unfortunately, he tumbled down the depth chart.
Wilson was demoted.
Dampier was injured in October. It was Ficklin that filled in during his absence.
The left-handed freshman showed out in his first start, a 53-7 win over Colorado. He threw for 140 yards and two touchcdowns. He added 151 rushing yards and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
Two games later, he ran for 166 yards on six carries against Baylor. In all, he appeared in 11 contests and led the team in rushing scores. Isaac Wilson played in one game, totaling an incomplete pass and three rushing yards.
Both players are expected to return to Salt Lake City in 2026. Wilson would again be buried on the depth chart. He saw the writing on the wall.
The quarterback is moving on after two seasons at Utah. His recruitment should be an interesting one to follow in the coming weeks.