Utah quarterback Cameron Rising is out "indefinitely," coach Kyle Whittingham announced Monday, and the Utes will turn to freshman Isaac Wilson in the interim. While the news is brutal for Rising's immediate future, it does open the door for the veteran to return for an eighth year of college football -- if he wants to, of course.
Rising has only played in three games this season while dealing with an injury to his throwing hand, and then he hurt his lower leg upon his return in Week 7 against Arizona State, which means he would likely be eligible for a second medical redshirt so long as he doesn't take the field in more than four contests.
Whittingham even noted Monday that Utah will consider bringing Rising back for his eighth year, and that the coaching staff will have conversations with Rising even if he didn't go so far as to call Rising's latest setback season-ending.
Even if Rising returns at some point in 2024, that doesn't eliminate the possibility of an eighth season. In June, the United States Department of Justice filed a proposed consent decree that would prohibit the NCAA from enforcing its Transfer Eligibility Rule, with a provision that states Division I student-athletes deemed ineligible for any portion of a season during or since the 2019-20 academic year will be granted an extra season of eligibility by the NCAA.
Rising was forced to sit out in 2019 when he transferred to Utah from Texas. He also suffered a season-ending injury one game into the 2020 campaign and missed all of the 2023 season while recovering from a devastating knee injury. He has started just 27 games in his six years with the Utes. Utah did win two Pac-12 titles with a (mostly) healthy Rising leading the show from 2021-22.
