No. 14 Utah has eagerly awaited the return of their starting quarterback, Cam Rising, from a knee injury throughout the season. However, their wait just became considerably longer.
Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham revealed to reporters on Saturday that Rising will no longer play this season, along with tight end Brant Kuithe who suffered a torn ACL last season. Linebacker Lander Barton, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, has also been ruled out for the rest of the season after being spotted with crutches on the sideline.
At this point, it remains uncertain if Rising or Kuithe will return for a seventh year in Salt Lake City in 2024, according to Josh Newman of The Salt Lake Tribune.
With Rising officially out for the next few months, Utah still has tough matchups against No. 9 Oregon and No. 5 Washington remaining on their schedule, as well as future Big 12 conference opponents Arizona State, Arizona, and Colorado. The Utes will likely rely on Bryson Barnes as their starting quarterback following Saturday’s victory. Barnes had an impressive performance, completing 14-of-23 passes for 235 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Utah currently holds a 6-1 record (3-1 in conference) with their only loss coming against No. 12 Oregon State.
Rising suffered his knee injury during last season’s Rose Bowl, tearing his ACL, meniscus, MPFL, and MCL in a game against Penn State. Utah didn’t disclose the severity of the injury during the offseason, and publicly treated Rising’s potential return as a week-to-week situation while Barnes and Nate Johnson shared duties at quarterback.
Rising recently revealed the details of his knee injury during a radio interview earlier this month. He mentioned the challenges he faced during his comeback and claimed to be ahead of schedule in his recovery. It’s uncertain if a setback led to the decision to shut him down for the season.
Last season, Rising led Utah to a 10-4 record and their second consecutive Pac-12 title. He had impressive stats, including 2,939 passing yards, a 66.2% completion rate, 8.1 yards per pass attempt, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also contributed six rushing touchdowns. In 2021, he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.
