Cam Rising Injured Again: Utes Face Tough Decision Ahead

TEMPE, Ariz. — Cam Rising Can't Catch a Break

After missing the last four weeks due to an unusual injury to his throwing hand, sustained after hitting a hydration table on the sidelines at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah's seventh-year quarterback found himself in a similar predicament on Friday.

Rising returned to the starting lineup in Tempe after weeks of uncertainty over his playing status. However, just one minute into the game, an Arizona State defender rolled up on him during a tackle, landing on Rising's right leg and causing it to bend awkwardly. Despite the injury, Rising got up, limped back to the line of scrimmage, and continued to play.

Though he completed the game — his first full game since 2022 — it was clear Rising wasn’t at his best. He struggled to plant his right foot properly, had timing issues with his receivers, and delivered several off-target throws. His usual confidence and precision were noticeably absent.

"Yeah, he got rolled up on — that lower leg injury limited his mobility for the rest of the game," Coach Whittingham said. "And of course, he's wearing the glove to help with his grip on the football, so yeah, he's banged up.

"It was clear he’s not 100%. You could see the rust; it’s been three or four weeks off, but he’s a heck of a quarterback and he’ll bounce back."

Rising finished the game with 209 passing yards and three interceptions, completing 16 of 37 attempts. However, it was apparent early on that Rising wasn’t at full strength. Despite struggles on offense, Utah decided to stick with their veteran quarterback. Rising wanted to stay in the game, and according to Whittingham, there was no discussion — at least not publicly — about replacing him with freshman Isaac Wilson.

"No, he wanted to play, and he was very adamant about staying in. He’s won a lot of games for us," Whittingham explained. "But it’s a coaching decision to determine who gives you the best chance to win, and that's who you put in. And like I said, Cam has been terrific for us in the past."

In the past.

Unfortunately, Rising hasn’t been fully healthy for the last two seasons, forcing Utah to adjust. While his legacy with the Utes is solidified with back-to-back Pac-12 championship runs, there’s a chance that his time as the team’s starting quarterback may be coming to an end.

Whittingham stated that the full extent of Rising’s injury is still unclear, but the next couple of days will be crucial in determining his future with the offense.

“We’ll know a lot more about how Cam feels tomorrow and the following day,” Whittingham said. “Typically, you can play through injuries with adrenaline in the heat of the moment, but it’s usually the next day or two when the severity becomes clearer.”

Depending on the seriousness of the injury — and with Utah's chances at a Big 12 title diminishing — there is a possibility the team might hand the offense over to Isaac Wilson. Even though the freshman is still developing, Utah may need to look toward the future, regardless of Rising’s health.

“That decision will be made as we move forward,” Whittingham said regarding the quarterback situation.

The decision boils down to whether Rising, despite his injuries — which include the current leg issue and a previous hand injury — remains the better option to keep Utah in the Big 12 title race, or if it’s time to shift to Wilson, a healthy but less experienced quarterback who has already led the team to two wins.

Whittingham had previously mentioned that if Rising wasn’t cleared to play as the season progressed, they would have the conversation, but the recent injury and Utah’s consecutive losses have complicated the situation.

Regardless of the quarterback, Utah’s offense has more significant issues to address. The team has struggled with red zone execution, and the play-calling has been questionable across the board.

“We were out-coached tonight, no question about it,” Whittingham admitted. “Each one of us — coaches, players — has to figure out how we can improve. We know our deficiencies, which I guess is a positive, but we haven’t been able to fix them."

“It's a similar conversation to the one after the Arizona game: We got out-rushed, we were terrible in the red zone, lost the turnover margin, and missed too many tackles. Unfortunately, it's the same storyline. Until we fix our red zone issues, we might not win another game this season.”

Beyond just the quarterback situation, Utah has many pressing questions to answer — and not much time to solve them before the season spirals further.