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Tobias Merriweather is a relative newcomer to the 2025 Utah football team, but he’s picking things up fast.
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Part of that is because new offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s system is less complicated to learn than former OC Andy Ludwig’s, but Merriweather has been through the transfer process one time before, and has the football IQ to digest the new system and get up to speed quickly.
Beck’s offense, Merriweather says, is a little bit “weird” — and that’s a good thing.
“The way they just do stuff is just not what’s a normal offense, especially in college, but I think it works great, especially for new guys and we’re able to just come in quick, get it down and run it,” Merriweather said.
“You got a kid in Tobias who’s 6-5, 200 pounds, runs a 4.4 (40-yard dash). So prototypical type of guy you like.”
Utah receivers coach Micah Simon on Tobias Merriweather
That’s why, despite not being here in the spring (Merriweather transferred to Utah from Cal after spring practices), those up on the hill are very optimistic about what he can bring to the team.
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The 6-foot-5, 195-pound receiver brings some unique size to the receiver room, and blended with his athleticism and ball skills, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Merriweather become one of Utah’s most productive receivers this season.
“You got a kid in Tobias who’s 6-5, 200 pounds, runs a 4.4 (40-yard dash),” receivers coach Micah Simon said. “So prototypical type of guy you like.”
But it’s not just the physical gifts that provide hope for Utah’s coaches, it’s how Merriweather and others, like fellow post-spring transfer Larry Simmons, have been committed to learning the offense and developing chemistry with quarterback Devon Dampier.
“Their work ethic is off the charts,” Simon said at the beginning of fall camp. “I was here Sunday night, dropping some stuff off. It was 8:30, they were on the field. That’s some stuff that you love to see as a coach. So excited. Excited to see what happens.”
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Those player-led summer workouts proved to be vital for providing a stepping stone to fall camp, especially for teaching players like Merriweather the offense before coaches were allowed to.
“During the summer when coaches aren’t around all the time, Devin and the rest of the guys being the leaders that hold everyone accountable, accountable to their potential,” Simon said.
The connection has already formed between Dampier and Merriweather — the receiver said that they’ve made a lot of big plays on offense during the first few weeks of fall camp.
Merriweather arrived in Salt Lake City from Cal, where he dealt with an injury that kept him on the sidelines for all but five games. In those five games, he proved what kind of player he is, catching 11 passes for 125 yards and a score — numbers that would have placed him No. 3 among Utah’s receivers in 2024.
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Prior to his year in Berkeley, he played at Notre Dame for two seasons, where he totaled 15 receptions for 325 yards and three touchdowns.
Notre Dame wide receiver Tobias Merriweather celebrates during game against Pittsburgh Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. The Former Irish receiver landed in Utah following spring camp, by way of the Cal Bears. | Michael Caterina, Associated Press
The potential for Merriweather to be an instant-impact player attracted him to Utah in the transfer portal.
“Just come make a difference,” he said when asked about Utah’s message to him in the transfer portal. “Come be a threat for us …”
Merriweather’s arrival boosted a wide receiver room where there are a lot of questions, even from coach Kyle Whittingham, who called the position group the biggest question mark on the team.
“The way they just do stuff is just not what’s a normal offense, especially in college, but I think it works great, especially for new guys and we’re able to just come in quick, get it down and run it.”
Utah receiver Tobias Merriweather on Utah’s offense
A little more than a week in, and there’s starting to be less worry about the wide receiver room, but the group will have to prove it on the field starting Aug. 30, when the Utes open the season at UCLA.
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“I’d say they’ve made big strides. Tobias Merriweather was really doing some good things, (Daidren) Zipperer is doing some good things,” Whittingham said.
For Merriweather personally, team success is top of mind, but a potential spot in the NFL is a personal goal, following in the footsteps of Utah receivers like Tim Patrick and Devaughn Vele.
“I think obviously my goal has always been since I was young to go to the NFL and that’s still what the case is and I think here’s a good place where I can do that,” Merriweather said.
In case you missed it
Who’s standing out, the latest on the QB2 battle, and what’s happening with new tight end Josiah Jefferson. Here’s what you need to know from Utes fall camp.
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