Cam Rising’s injury is one of the biggest topics for discussion as another weekend of Pac-12 football is upon us. No. 10 Utah Utes are set to face No. 19 Oregon Ducks later today in a game that can potentially sway the championship campaign for both teams.
The Utes are unbeaten in four games this season, having to play without their star quarterback, Cam Rising. In Rising’s place, backup quarterback, Nate Johnson has been holding the fort. Judging from the Utes’ flawless record this season, he hasn’t been doing a bad job.
But perhaps the Utah offense would have been more clinical with Rising on the call. And as the matchups become more heated in the Pac-12, Kyle Whittingham will need the trusted hands of his star quarterback to push the offense.
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The Utah football head coach has largely kept the cards close to his chest concerning Rising’s return from injury. As such, it remains doubtful that he will return to face the Oregon Ducks today. The responsibility will fall on Johnson’s shoulders again to lead the Utes in offense and go head-to-head with Oregon’s Bo Nix.
What happened to Cam Rising?
Rising sustained an injury on his ACL during the Rose Bowl last season.
Rising is recovering from a major injury that he suffered during the 2022 post-season campaign. The injury that occurred in January usually takes between six to nine months to recover from.
Given Rising’s competitive level, he’s been expected back as early as the first game of the season for the Utes. However, the quarterback has not made the expected comeback, although he continues to train hard to become a match-fit.
When will Cam Rising return to action?
As far as we know, Rising may be back in action anytime soon. According to Whittingham, Rising has been showing positive signs in training and looks ready to go. However, he still awaits the doctors’ clearance to give him game time. He said,
“He practices as if he was playing the game and ready to roll. But until the doctor says it’s go time, we’ll keep proceeding as we have.”
Whittingham prioritizes the player’s health over his immediate contribution to games. The senior quarterback is in his last lap of college football as he’ll be proceeding to the NFL Draft next year. His draft stock will depend a lot on how much and how well he plays this season.