Cameron Rising is suiting up for his seventh year of college football, making him one of the oldest players on the gridiron this season.
As he embarks on Utah’s debut campaign in the Big 12, let’s look back on Rising’s high school career — one that had several powerhouses fighting for his services.
Cameron Rising Lit Up the California High School Scene
Rising didn’t become a quarterback until seventh grade. By the end of his time at Newbury Park High School in California, he held 20+ scholarship offers.
His sophomore year was far and away his best, as he threw for 3,213 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just one interception while adding another 756 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
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As you’d imagine, the accolades rolled in, including first-team All-CIF, MaxPreps Sophomore All-American, and Cal-Hi Sports Sophomore of the Year.
Rising’s follow-up performance was cut short due to a season-ending shoulder injury, but he still produced 1,349 yards and 14 TDs with only four INTs. In fact, he set a county record for attempts without a pick (324) between his sophomore and junior seasons.
Despite throwing for less than 2,000 yards (1,689) in his high school finale, Rising still earned first-team All-CIF and all-county recognition as well as All-Camino League Offensive Back of the Year due to his 15:6 TD-to-INT ratio and 496 rushing yards and nine scores.
And if you were still unsure of his athletic ability, Rising also competed on the track and basketball teams.
In the August leading into his junior season, Rising committed to Oklahoma. But after a visit the following April, he flipped to the Sooners’ fiercest rival: Texas.
“I truly believe Coach Herman will bring Texas back to the elite status program it is,” Rising wrote in a Twitter post announcing his decision. “After much thought and discussion with those close to me, I am fully prepared to say that I am committing to the University of Texas. I am shutting down my recruitment process to focus on my academics and senior season.”
Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the decision didn’t pan out, as Rising transferred to Utah after just one redshirt year in Austin, saying, “It wasn’t a good fit for me, so I just figured I better move on and just start over, start new. That was pretty much the process.”
All Rising has done with the Utes is win 19 of 26 starts, make two All-Pac-12 teams (first team in 2021), and rank fourth all-time in program history with 51 career passing TDs and 63 total TDs.
Fittingly, after starting his college journey in the Big 12 with Texas, Rising’s remarkable career comes full circle as he leads Utah into its first season in the conference.
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