Utah head coach issues blunt statement as Cameron Rising considers returning for eighth year in college

The Utah Utes received the news they most feared about quarterback Cameron Rising on Monday. The seventh-year senior's season is over due to a lower leg injury. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham quickly addressed whether Rising's career with the program is over.

Rising, 25 years old, is eligible for a medical redshirt to play in 2025. He's previously said he's not interested in using it, but the injury and his advanced age likely mean his NFL future is bleak. Coming back to school could allow him one last shot at glory and NIL money.

Whittingham was definitive about what he'd like for his program moving forward.

"We'll have to consider it, not sure if Cam has considered it," Whittingham admitted. He said Isaac Wilson will serve as the starter in Rising.

Rising was forced to the sidelines earlier this year due to a finger injury, limiting his playtime to only three games. In his Week 7 comeback against Arizona State last Saturday, his performance was notably off, as he only managed to throw for 209 yards and was intercepted three times in a 27-19 defeat.

This loss worsened Utah's season record to 4-2.

During his limited action this season, Rising achieved a completion rate of just 51.5 percent, throwing for 555 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Across 26 games for the Utes in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he proved himself as one of the premier quarterbacks nationwide, amassing 5,527 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, with a completion rate of 64.2 percent.

Rising suffered a severe knee injury in the Rose Bowl at the close of the 2022 season, which led to him missing the entirety of the 2023 season.

He initially redshirted his first year in college at Texas in 2018, then transferred to Utah the next year, where he was redshirted again. His participation was limited to just one game in the 2020 season, which was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic due to a shoulder injury.

Utah may be considering Rising's return because their backup situation is bleak without him. 3-star Wyatt Becker is the best QB in their 2025 recruiting class. Wilson was a 4-star in 2024, so the true freshman's success in Rising's absence is the program's best chance at a replacement.

Considering how frail Rising's body has been and that Wilson was brought in as a promising prospect, it might be best for Rising to finish his career elsewhere. But Whittingham's loyalty and Rising's value to the program beyond what happens on the field matters, too, so we're hopeful this situation ends happily.