Following his team’s 34–32 victory over No. 18 USC on Saturday night, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham ruled star quarterback Cam Rising out for the season.
Rising tore multiple knee ligaments in Utah’s 35–21 Rose Bowl loss to Penn State in January, but the team held out hope that he could return to action at some point this season. Rising was cleared to practice with the Utes earlier this fall, but has not come close to returning to the starting lineup. Whittingham also announced that star right end Brant Kuithe will also miss the rest of the season as he recovers from an ACL injury of his own that he suffered a year ago.
Rising has led Utah to back-to-back Pac-12 titles under center, and Utah is hoping to make it three straight conference championships this season. The Utes improved to 6-1 on the season after Saturday’s dramatic win over the Trojans, and have used a combination of quarterbacks Nate Johnson and Bryson Barnes in Rising’s absence.
Barnes completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts on Saturday night for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and added 57 yards on ground and an additional score. Barnes’s 26 yard run late in the fourth quarter set Utah up in field goal range for the game-winning kick by Cole Becker.
As for Rising, he will have an opportunity to return in 2024 for a seventh college football season, but it remains to be seen if he will exercise his remaining eligibility.
