Utah football fans hoping to see Cam Rising's season debut on Friday might have to wait another couple of weeks to see the star quarterback. Though Rising has just one hurdle to clear before returning to game action, it appears unlikely that will come this week as the senior continues to recover from a torn ACL.

Josh Newman reports that by all indications, Nate Johnson will start his third consecutive game of the season on Friday as Utah football travels to Oregon State.

Johnson has helped the Utes to a 4-0 record in 2023 but has not put up very good numbers as Utah has relied heavily on its run game. Utah is averaging more rushing yards than passing yards per game, with the dual-threat Johnson among the team leaders in rushing. He's run the ball 47 times compared to his 49 passing attempts.

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Rising tore his ACL in January and is nearing eight months since his surgery. He's been a full participant in practice for a couple of weeks but still has yet to be cleared for contact. He and Johnson split the first-team reps this week in preparation for the Oregon State game.

Utah football has a bye week following Friday's game, which gives Cam Rising over two weeks to get cleared before an Oct. 14 matchup against Cal.

You can only imagine the eagerness within Rising and Utah football fans to get him back on the field. It shouldn’t take much longer, but with each passing week he's on the sidelines comes more concerns that he may not suit up at all this season.