What If We Told You That Cam Rising Wanted Jake Bentley To Join The Utes

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – During this week’s episode of It’s Utah’s World, Steve Bartle and myself discussed a multitude of subject matters, but one stood out amongst the rest.

During a segment in which we answer questions from listeners, Bartle broke some news that I am sure very few Utah fans have heard before.

The question was a good one, it read-

Has the balance of the risk of signing Brantley been properly thought through? I get that competition is good, but do we run the risk of losing Rising in the long run for a short term gain? Worth it? I tend to trust Ludwig, but this seems to be a gamble.

— maximus powerus (@PowerusMaximus) March 25, 2020

A valid question, Rising has three years to play, whereas Bentley only has one. If Bentley gets the start in 2020, does that put the team at harm’s way to lose Rising moving forward?

Bartle’s response was staggering.

“What if I told you that Rising had a part to play in bringing Bentley to Utah.”

Why would Rising want that? If Bentley does not come to Utah, Rising is almost guaranteed to be the starting quarterback for the Utes in 2020.

That led to a conversation about competition, and the importance competing has in any college football team.

You hear coaches from around the country and at all levels harp on competing against one and other. As a player, it often just comes across as ‘coach talk’. But when you experience a good healthy competition, you quickly start to value the word and it’s meaning more.

Let me take you back to the spring of 2012, I was a sophomore and was expected to take over the punting reigns from Sean Sellwood who departed the team as a redshirt senior the previous year.

The first two weeks of spring I was losing the battle, Chris Van Orden had me beat. That is when I clicked my form into another gear. I had no option. Eventually, I would end up winning the job and continue to have a rather successful collegiate career.

But what is Van Orden was not behind me pushing me to be great. What if I did not have any competition? I am almost certain that I would not have had the success I had if it weren’t for the constant reminder to be great.

Rising is showing glimpses of being great, and he has not even played a college game. You have to have a certain mentality if you want to be different. Tom Brady is a great example, his sacrifice and perseverance is remarkable and he has turned himself into the greatest quarterback of all time.

2020 Leadership Council@brumfield_devin @brit_covey2 @SolomonEnis @FearThat55
Cole Fotheringham @Brantkuithe14 @BenLennon95 @DevinLloyd_ @hpututau41 @crising7
Mika Tafua@B_Thompson_1
Orlando Umana pic.twitter.com/YH4avByq8O

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) February 5, 2020

Who knows who will trot out onto Rice Eccles Stadium on September 3rd against the BYU Cougars, however, whoever it may be, will have the excitement and full attention of every Utah football fan in the world.

The future is bright and that is all that matters.

Tom Hackett is a Utah Football and Real Salt Lake Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the It’s Utah’s World Podcast (SUBSCRIBE).  Follow him on Twitter: @TomCantHackett.