The Utah Utes were hoping for a full season of action from veteran quarterback Cam Rising in 2024. However, after suffering an apparent finger injury on his throwing hand during the win over the Baylor Bears, the Utah QB was noticeably seen starting the game on the sidelines after warming up against Utah State in Week 3.
Here’s the latest on Rising’s injury and everything we know about the Utah quarterback’s status.
Utah QB Cam Rising Warms Up, Doesn’t Start Week 3 vs. Utah State
According to multiple reports on Thursday, Rising was considered “unlikely” to play against Utah State on Saturday after missing the entire second half of the Utes Week 2 clash with Baylor. Sources close to College Football Network suggest that he has a lacerated finger and will be rested to recover fully for the clash with fellow Big 12 contender Oklahoma State following their Week 3 matchup with Utah State.
Following pre-game warm-ups, Rising was a no show on the starting lineup and true freshman QB Isaac Wilson got the start.
Earlier in the week, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham sparked speculation about the status of the long-time Utah starter when discussing Brandon Rose as the QB2 in the lead-up to the Utah State game, with Wilson the presumed starter after he took the reins of the offense in the second half of the win over Baylor.
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Rising left for the locker room with less than two minutes remaining in the first half of Utah’s Week 2 matchup against Baylor. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, it was specified that Rising was suffering from an apparent hand injury.
The Utes’ game against the Bears was going incredibly well up until Rising’s departure. At halftime, the Utes were up 23-3 over their opponents, with Rising accounting for 113 total yards and two touchdowns.
Rising’s injury occurred late in a play as he rolled to his left to escape pressure. He ultimately threw the ball away, but his momentum carried him out of bounds, where he crashed into the sideline and collided with a cluster of water coolers. He was slow to get up afterward.
Wilson replaced Rising and was later seen on the sideline in street clothes. Wilson, the younger brother of former BYU star Zach Wilson, completed less than 50% of his passes for just 30 yards. The Utes failed to score in the second half.
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At 25 years old, Rising has had his share of injuries. He missed most of the 2020 season due to a shoulder injury and was forced to medically redshirt in 2023 after tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in the previous Rose Bowl.
In the season opener against Southern Utah, Rising passed for 254 yards and five touchdowns. Over his six-year career with the Utes, he has accumulated 5,731 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns, along with 922 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
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