Zereoue Williams on Utah’s Offensive Line Building a Culture

The spotlight this fall camp has understandably landed on Devon Dampier, Wayshawn Parker, and a wide receiver room loaded with new pieces. But quietly, in the trenches, Utah‘s offensive line is doing exactly what offensive lines are supposed to do. They’re working without anyone watching and are perfectly fine with that. Offensive tackle Zereoue Williams made that much clear after practice on Monday. “It’s a lot of working in the dark,” Williams said. “I’m happy that it is that way because that’s personally how I like to work.” That mentality is exactly what you want to hear from a unit that has significant ground to cover after losing all five starters from a season ago. They weren’t just graduating seniors, either. Spencer Fano, the 2025 Outland Trophy winner and ninth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Caleb Lomu are both gone. As are two other NFL signees. Leaving a line that needs to rebuild its identity before the Utes open on Sep. 3 against Idaho. Who can step up? Williams is one of the key returning pieces tasked with helping that happen. And from the sound of it, the process is further along than outsiders might realize. “I don’t know how we can show it before game day, but in practice we’re doing all that we can do while building chemistry,” Williams said. “That’s really coming along.” Williams isn’t overly confident or guaranteeing dominance. He understands that offensive line chemistry is one of those things that doesn’t fully reveal itself until you’re under the lights. What you can do is put in the reps, learn each other’s tendencies, communicate at the line, and trust that the work will show up when it matters. That’s what Williams is describing, and it’s the right way to think about it. The new coaching piece adds another layer to the development. Jordan Gross, the three-time Pro Bowl left tackle who played 11 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, was brought in this offseason to coach the offensive line. His presence has been one of the more talked-about additions to Scalley’s staff. Getting coaching from someone who played at an elite level for over a decade in the NFL is a different experience than most college offensive linemen get. The line as a unit The other thing Williams touched on was bigger than just this season. He talked about what the group is trying to build as a unit, and not just for 2026, but as a standard going forward. “We’re building a culture in the o-line room,” he said. “We’re trying to push what we can do and show that culture every day on the field.” Culture is a word that gets thrown around a lot in college football, especially at Utah. The offensive line is a unit, not five individual players. It really is the one position in football where individual glory isn’t really a thing. Unfairly, the only way those guys usually get recognized is when the running back breaks a long one or the quarterback stands clean in the pocket and makes a throw. The fact that Williams is talking about pushing culture within that room says something about the mindset taking hold up front. The Utes ran for 266 yards per game last season, second in the country. A lot of that was an experienced group. But a lot of it was also scheme, depth, and the guys working in the offseason — including Williams. The challenge now is proving that production wasn’t entirely dependent on a unit that is soon to be seen all over the country on Sundays, but on the guys behind the scenes waiting for their turn. Working in the dark, building chemistry, and pushing culture. If the offensive line delivers even a little bit on what Williams is describing, Utah’s offense in 2026 could be just as dangerous as it was a year ago.