Cameron Rising Injury: Utah QB will miss remainder of 2024 season with eligibility still to be determined

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 season following additional evaluation by the team’s medical staff, the team announced. Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said earlier Monday that Rising is out “indefinitely” due to multiple injuries and that freshman Isaac Wilson will return to starting quarterback duties “until further notice.”

“Any future developments regarding [Rising’s] “College eligibility will be addressed at a later date,” the statement said. The possibility of a second media redshirt for Rising, coupled with the Justice Department’s proposed consent decree prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing its transfer eligibility rule, could qualify Rising for an eighth year of college football.

Rising missed several weeks because he suffered an injured finger on his right (throwing) hand against Baylor on September 7th. He returned in Week 7 against Arizona State but struggled with three interceptions and completed just 43% of his passes in a 27-minute game. 19 defeat. Rising also suffered a lower leg injury in a brutal tackle early in the game.

The seventh-grader has battled injuries heavily throughout his career, but a torn ACL in the 2023 Rose Bowl against Penn State was the most devastating. Rising missed the entire 2023 season, although Whittingham remained cautious about the QB’s availability for most of the year. Rising also had to miss a month due to the hand injury, meaning he only played three times for Utah this season.

Wilson has started three games for Utah in Rising’s absence, compiling a 2-1 record. However, he threw four interceptions in his last appearance, a 23-10 loss to Arizona. The loss to Arizona State leaves Utah 1-2 in Big 12 play after being picked as a preseason conference favorite.

Nightmarish injuries

Before his ACL tear, Rising was one of the most successful quarterbacks in college football. The Utes compiled a 19-4 record in the games he started and finished the 2021-22 season with two Pac-12 championships. Without him in the lineup, Utah went 8-5 last season. In 30 games at Utah, he threw for 6,127 yards and 65 total touchdowns.

However, the injuries may have robbed Utah of two years of competitiveness. True freshman Wilson will have to salvage the 1-2 start to Big 12 play and try to keep the Utes competitive as they advance into the heart of Big 12 play.

Whittingham said the program is open to Rising, who returns in 2025 for an eighth year of eligibility. It’s unclear whether Rising would be open to this. He would be 26 years old at the start of the season.

Managing the QBs

Before Rising suffered his knee injury, there were already rumors that he might turn to the NFL. Despite the potential loss, Utah failed to accumulate many proven options in the quarterback room. Last season, former backup Bryson Barnes was pushed into the starting lineup. True freshman Nate Johnson also started the games. Both moved after the season.

Now Wilson beat returners Luke Bottari and Brandon Rose, who combined for 11 career passes. Utah also added former five-star Sam Huard as a transfer, but the junior has yet to emerge and remains behind Rose on the depth chart.

In five games, Wilson completed just 56% of passes for 830 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Against Arizona, he only hit half of his passes while Utah’s offense scored just 10 points. The Utes rank 66th nationally in passing offense and 92nd in pass rating.