Utah HC Kyle Whittingham provides encouraging update on QB Cameron Rising

The Utah Utes are expecting big things from senior quarterback Cameron Rising in 2024.

After all, he was excellent in 2022 before he suffered a significant knee injury in Utah's Rose Bowl clash against the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

Rising threw for 3,034 yards and 26 touchdowns with just eight interceptions while also running for 465 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. The knee injury cost him the 2023 season, but he was able to qualify for a medical redshirt.

Now, heading into 2024, head coach Kyle Whittingham is expecting his quarterback to be healthy as the team heads into fall camp.

“At this point in time, he’s 100%,” Whittingham said at Big 12 media days (h/t On3's  Griffin McVeigh). “Hopefully, there’s no, you know, something that rears its ugly head, no setbacks. But he had a terrific spring. (He) was not hit, we didn’t hit him at all in spring but he did every drill, every day with no issues, and so we’re expecting him on the opening day — him and Brant Kuithe our tight end for that matter, who missed all of last year as well — to be ready to go.”

Having Rising back under center is going to be huge for Utah, especially considering the Utes are now part of the Big 12. 

With games against Baylor and Oklahoma State (on the road) looming big within the first four weeks of game play, having a veteran quarterback who has star power and poise could end up being huge for the Utes. 

The end of the season has a stretch that sees Utah play TCU, Houston, BYU and Colorado with the games against the Cougars and Buffaloes coming on the road. That's another stretch of games in which a veteran college quarterback can be all the difference between winning and losing.