Saturday night was triumphant for Utah on the field but off the field, the program was hit with brutal news. Cameron Rising is supposed to be the school’s starting quarterback but hasn’t played all season because he tore his ACL in last year’s Rose Bowl. Well, it is now official that he won’t be suiting up at all this campaign.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham announced QB Cameron Rising (knee) will be shut down for the season. pic.twitter.com/b15Ai5SAT8
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 22, 2023
Rising completed 64.7% of his passes for 3,034 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight touchdowns last season. He also added 465 rushing yards and six more scores for the Utes. Rising was the 2022 Pac-12 Championship MVP.
Even without Cameron Rising, the Utes have managed to open the year 6-1. Another (final) Pac-12 title isn’t out of the question, nor is a playoff appearance. Next week will be one of the team’s toughest tests of 2023 as they’re set to welcome the Oregon Ducks
Utah’s QB Situation Moving Forward
To begin the season, Bryson Barnes was Utah’s starting quarterback. He’s been injured and benched this year but started the Utes’ last two games. Moving forward, Barnes, who has 398 passing yards, should be the team’s starting quarterback.
If not Barnes, look for Nate Johnson to receive snaps in Salt Lake City. Before Saturday’s big win, he had more attempts (72), passing yards (499), passing touchdowns (3), and rushing yards (153) than Barnes. However, he also started the team’s only loss.
Hopefully, the Utes won’t have to think about quarterbacks beyond Barnes or Johnson. That is until next year when Cameron Rising returns.
