KSL UNRIVALED
Yogi Roth: Cam Rising Needs To Be In The Heisman Trophy Conversation
SALT LAKE CITY – The Heisman Trophy has made just a scant appearance to schools in Utah with BYU’s Ty Detmer winning the award in 1990. He remains the last player from a non-power school to win the award. In 2004, Utah quarterback Alex Smith finished fourth. Beyond those two players, no one has come close.
That could change heading into the 2022 season. To win the award for college football’s most outstanding player, there are usually a few criteria that said player must check off.
It helps to be on a name-brand team or blue blood program, being on the best team that year and playing quarterback, entering the season with a lot of preseason hype, and, of course, a Heisman moment are a few of the things that help guys get in the conversation for the coveted award.
Updated Preseason 2022 Composite Football Top 25
— SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) May 5, 2022
6. Utah
14. Oregon
19. USC
The latest rankings from 14 media sources, including ESPN, USA Today, CBS Sports, SI, and others:https://t.co/zCMPD9zPYy
Utah quarterback Cam Rising fits the mold for a good number of what a Heisman winner needs to have. The Utes are coming off of a Pac-12 title with a near upset win over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Rising plays the glamor quarterback position, he is on a team that is getting early College Football Playoff buzz, and the Utes are in the top 10, if not higher, in many post-spring top 25 rankings.
The glaring issue to media members that vote on the award across the country is that Rising plays out West in the Pac-12 and he plays for a non-blue blood program in Utah. The Pac-12 has just four Heisman winners since the turn of the century and the most recent one is nearly a decade ago when Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the award in 2014.
That is not to say the Utes are a nobody on the national stage, they have appeared in three of the past four conference title games, went to the Rose Bowl last year, and had they defeated Oregon in the 2019 Pac-12 title game the Utes likely would have made the playoff that year.
No Excuses From Media: Cam Rising Heisman Conversation
Looking at the off-season frontrunners, Rising is nowhere to be found in these lists. The players noted are the usual list of suspects including reigning Heisman trophy winner Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud who defeated the Utes in the Rose Bowl.
Yogi Roth tells us now that Cam Rising should be a #HeismanTrophy candidate right now.#GoUtes. pic.twitter.com/D3uX3p7uAv
— Unrivaled w/Alex Kirry & Scott Mitchell (@KSLunrivaled) May 17, 2022
Then a bunch of names from big-time schools but not necessarily proven talent, but more of a projection that they will be good. That includes Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei who was part of a bad Tigers offense and he had just nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions, there are guys who have not yet taken a snap like Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers or USC QB Caleb Williams who is on a new team albeit with his former coach with Lincoln Riley heading West.
The main point is that there are a lot of question marks after Stroud and Young for who can win the Heisman trophy. Utah is expected to have a really good season and that is a big step and so is opening up the season in SEC Country vs. the Florida Gators. It doesn’t really matter how good the Gators end up being under Billy Napier – it will help the Utes if they are good – but going into The Swamp and beating a team from the SEC will go a long way.
Yogi Roth of the Pac-12 Network joined Unrivaled and is banging the drum for Rising to be a Heisman candidate and saying he should be treated that way by those who are calling games, especially the opener at Florida.
“I don’t think he is getting enough praise right now across the country,” Roth said. “I think he is a Heisman candidate and I think he needs to be talked about like that. … Those of us who know this league to scream from the rooftops to make sure that whoever calling those games. It can be whatever mouth of the South you want but you better know Cam Rising.
“This dude is elite and needs to be talked about that based on previous performances… this is a dude and should be given that type of praise,” Roth added. “If he is not, then whoever is supposed to be doing their job covering the country isn’t doing it. Utah is a real threat.”
.@YogiRoth tells @KSLunrivaled that Cam Rising needs to be talked about as a #HeismanTrophy candidate right now heading into the season.#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/OVzqr4wi0M
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 17, 2022
Rising is not without issues that are built-in with how the Utah offense is run which has not always been pass-heavy, but relied more on a controlled ground game and an elite defense.
If head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig even crack open the playbook a little, that will go a long way to boosting Rising’s odds to become Utah’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.
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