Saturday 2:30 p.m. ET update: Rising will be in uniform for the Utes today, but won’t be the starter at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah QB Cameron Rising: Will dress but Nate Johnson expected to start https://t.co/wUQyPGp68y
— Unabated College Football (@Unabated_CFB) September 23, 2023
Friday PM update: The line has moved back down to Utah -3.5, leading to speculation that Cam Rising might not play in Saturday’s ranked matchup against UCLA. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, so his status will be something to monitor on Saturday morning.
Utah Utes quarterback Cam Rising is expected to make his 2023 season debut this Saturday when the team opens Pac-12 play against the UCLA Bruins. The super-senior quarterback tore his ACL during the team’s appearance in the 2023 Rose Bowl back on January 2 and has spent the last eight months rehabbing the injury. He was a full participant in practice this week, leading to him finally getting the nod.
Rising has been Utah’s starter for the last two seasons and has played a pivotal role in the Utes winning back-to-back Pac-12 titles. Being named First Team All-Pac-12 in 2021, he improved his numbers in 2022 by throwing for just over 3,000 passing yards, running for 465 rushing yards, and accumulating 32 total touchdowns. So far this season, backup Nate Johnson has held down the fort in Rising’s absence while third-stringer Bryson Barnes has also gotten some run.
Rising’s apparently-healthy status made an immediate impact on the line at DraftKings Sportsbook as Utah has jumped from a 4.5 to a 6-point favorite.