There’s a lot of suspense around the Utah Football program about Cam Rising’s return from his knee injury. As it currently stands, Utah’s trusty leader is ahead of schedule in his rehab. The plan is for him to line up behind center on August 31st, but Utah will also be ready for an alternative scenario.
Rising has started 24 games for the University of Utah. Excluding his first start where he exited early with an injury, he’s 17-6 as the starter. With a large majority of the all-time Utah quarterback records within his reach, Utah’s chances of three-peating as Pac-12 champs hinge on the health of Rising.
At one point during camp, Utah might be forced to make a decision: is an 80-90% Rising better to trout out than a 100% Brandon Rose? Or do any of the others supplant Rose as the main backup?
There’s little doubt, though, that with Rising in the lineup, Utah is never a team to count out. Expect Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to weigh all of the pros and cons for the opener. However, at the current moment, the full expectation is that Utah’s grizzled veteran will be ready for game one, to start their chase of a Pac-12 three-peat.
The Starter
Cam Rising
Senior
6-foot-2, 220 pounds
Rising has already cemented his place amongst the greatest Utah quarterbacks of all-time. Now he has the opportunity to be in a class of his own. A Pac-12 three-peat? A CFP berth? Accomplish those and there should really be no room left for a debate.
Rising will tell everyone he has unfinished business and then let his and his team’s play do the talking. The legend of “Bad Moon Rising,” will live on for years and years to come.
The Backups
Brandon Rose
Redshirt Freshman
6-foot-2, 210 pounds
The 2022 scout team quarterback took advantage of those reps and parlayed it into a spring that saw him vault into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Heading into fall camp, now comes the challenge. The target is on his back, so how well will he respond? He has the swagger that’s a mix of Rising and Johnny Manziel. He has impressive arm talent and he has a good grasp of the playbook, although the offense would adjust with him under center.
Rose is one of the most important guys to watch develop in fall camp.
Nate Johnson
Redshirt Freshman
6-foot-1, 195 pounds
Becoming the specialty quarterback has its pluses and minuses. Johnson made his debut in the ninth game of 2022, playing in four games and preserving his redshirt year. Overall, he rushed the ball five times for 51 yards and three touchdowns. He completed his lone pass on the year, a misdirection that went for 16 yards.
The question that surrounds Johnson’s game is his passing accuracy. The Utah staff was looking forward to him getting extended time last spring to work on and also showcase that arm talent. Unfortunately for Johnson, he was injured and missed valuable development time.
Heading into fall, his speed and elusiveness make him an intriguing option.
Bryson Barnes
Junior
6-foot-1, 209 pounds
Barnes received more reps in spring than initially anticipated due to Johnson being out with his injury. Even with that time, Rose performed a little better. It’s still a very real potential scenario that Barnes is Rising’s backup, as has been the case since the 2022 Rose Bowl. Utah knows what they have in him, and it’s a serviceable quarterback that can hold an offense together for spurts at a time. This fall though, it would benefit him to add a “wow factor” to his game.
Mack Howard
Freshman
6-foot-2, 189 pounds
The 2023 season will be a developmental year for Howard, as he’ll look to pack on weight and dive deep into the playbook.
UteNation Take
Utah will do everything they can to have Rising ready for week one. That being said, they won’t jeopardize his health if he needs another 1-2 weeks. It’ll take a lot for either Johnson or Barnes to unseat Rose as the backup. If Johnson somehow does, that’s an exciting problem to have. If it’s Barnes, it’s because the freshmen underwhelmed and the coaching staff wants to go with a steady option.
