Utah football's quarterback situation just got murkier as a major update has come out regarding star quarterback Cam Rising. A 2022 PAC-12 Championship MVP under head coach Kyle Whittingham, Rising suffered a season-ending leg injury against Arizona State on October 11th. The news was a huge hit to a Utah offense that has struggled without the former All-Pac 12 selection.

While the senior started his college football career in 2018, he does have an extra year of eligibility remaining if he wants it. And it looks like Whittingham would happily welcome Rising back for a potential eighth year.

The head coach just confirmed with Utah Athletic reporter Josh Furlong that the star QB is expected to have surgery next week. And Whittingham is letting Rising decide whether he wants to return to the Utes, indicating that the door is wide open for the senior to play one final season in Salt Lake City if he desires to do so.

Cam Rising has had a terrific career at Utah

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham and quarterback Cameron Rising (7) lift the PAC-12 Football Championship trophy following the victory against the Southern California Trojans at Allegiant Stadium.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The 25-year-old from Ventura, California has had a rough two years after a ton of success with the program. Rising missed the entire 2023 season after needing surgery on a torn ACL, meniscus, MCL, and MPFL. He suffered this injury in the 2023 Rose Bowl game against Penn State.

The senior started his comeback season on August 29th, playing the first two games of the year for the Utes. Unfortunately, against Baylor, Rising picked up a right-hand injury. That setback kept Utah's starting signal caller out three games until their matchup against Arizona State.

Before this string of injuries, Rising was one of the most decorated quarterbacks in Utah football history. He led Whittingham and company to consecutive Pac-12 championships and their only two appearances in the Rose Bowl. In addition, Rising was named first-team All-PAC-12 in 2021.

Since the star QB has been out, Utah has taken a step back as a program. The Utes are 4-4 on the season so far, which includes a 1-4 record in the Big 12, with this being their first year in the conference. With Rising out, the quarterback position for Utah football has become a weakness, with freshman Isaac Wilson starting.

Wilson has completed eight touchdowns along with eight interceptions and a QBR that ranks 109th in the FBS. The Utes now head into the hardest part of their schedule in grave danger of posting their first losing season since 2013.

Utah faces ranked teams over the next three weeks in No. 9 BYU, No. 23 Colorado, and No. 11 Iowa State. Whittingham and company then close their season against unranked UCF. While things might not get better this season, with Rising being eligible for an eighth year, the future could still be bright for the Utes as they navigate the new waters of the Big 12.