Utah QB Rising says he’ll return to team in 2024

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterNov 19, 2023, 05:18 PM ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.

Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who helped the Utes to consecutive Pac-12 titles before missing this season with a significant knee injury, is set to return to the team in 2024.

Rising, who began his college career at Texas, announced Sunday on social media that he will play a seventh college season (sixth at Utah). He sustained a torn ACL against Penn State in the Rose Bowl after quarterbacking the Utes to a second straight Pac-12 title last fall.

Utah had hope that Rising would return for the 2023 season, and he attended Pac-12 media day in July. Although Rising had been cleared for practice, he never saw game action. In early October, Rising revealed that he tore an MCL and two other ligaments, in addition to the ACL, which complicated his recovery. He had been in regular contact with noted surgeon Neal ElAttrache, who performed his knee surgery in January. After Utah’s Oct. 21 win at USC, coach Kyle Whittingham announced that Rising would be shut down for the season.

Rising took redshirt years in both 2018 at Texas and 2019 at Utah, and was limited by injury to only game in 2020 before becoming the Utes’ starter the following season. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2021, when he passed for 2,493 yards and 20 touchdowns, while adding 499 rushing yards and six scores. In 2022, Rising had 3,034 passing yards and 26 touchdowns and won Pac-12 championship game MVP honors as Utah beat USC.

Utah entered the season as a Pac-12 title contender but has had a bumpy season without Rising, dropping three of its past four games to fall to 7-4. The Utes are set to enter the Big 12 in 2024. Rising will turn 25 in May.