Utah’s Bryson Barnes Starts Against Florida, Cam Rising Out
Aug 31, 2023, 6:10 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – After months of wondering if Utah starting quarterback Cam Rising would be ready to go against Florida or not, Ute fans finally have their answer.
Rising is on the sideline, not dressed as the Utah offense takes the field with backup quarterback Bryson Barnes to kick off the 2023 season against the Gators. The Utes will also be without defensive tackle Junior Tafuna and tight end Brant Kuithe tonight.
Utah’s “leader of the leaders” sustained an ACL tear in the Utes’ second Rose Bowl appearance against Penn State to start the year. Ever since, Rising has been on the clock to be ready in time for Florida and despite a good effort to be ready, couldn’t quite make it in time.
.@Utah_Football QB Cam Rising not dressed for tonight’s game against #Florida.#Utes #UBoyz pic.twitter.com/EBeGD8LOXO
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 31, 2023
Rising’s Injury Timeline
- Rising’s injury took place on January 3, 2023. It was the second time an injury took him out of the Rose Bowl.
- Rising did not physically participate in Utah’s spring practices but continued to rehab and made good progress according to head coach Kyle Whittingham in this interview from April 25.
- Utah’s QB1 gave another positive update on his recovery on July 21 at Pac-12 Media Day.
- As fall camp began and wrapped up, Rising’s status never improved from “limited” casting doubt as far as a week out as to whether Utah’s QB1 would be ready in time.
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The Importance Of Cam Rising To Utah Football
While Utah has come a long way and can absorb key players absences for a time, there is no denying the importance of having their best players available as much as possible. Especially a player like Rising whom head coach Kyle Whittingham has coined as the “leader of the leaders”.
“He’s our leader,” Whittingham recently said of Rising. “He’s the leader of the football team- the leader of the leaders as we’ve said many times before and he’s a guy that affects everybody around him. Everyone looks to him and he sets the bar and demands everyone lives up to that expectation.”
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It’s hard to argue with that logic as Rising has been a major factor in Utah getting over the hump of winning the Pac-12 Championship twice now. While the Utes can manage this game without their QB1, there is no doubt they will want him back sooner rather than later if they are to attempt to three-peat as Pac-12 Champions in 2023.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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