Kyle Whittingham Provides Update, Cam Rising No Longer On Utah’s Roster

SALT LAKE CITY—After another injury-riddled campaign and drastic changes on the offensive side, the Cam Rising era of Utah Football seems to have officially ended.

Utah welcomed a new offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, and quarterback Devon Dampier to the program last month.

However, there lingered a belief that Rising still might suit up for the Utes in some capacity in 2025.

In Tuesday’s press conference, head coach Kyle Whittingham provided clarity on his program’s current relationship with the former star quarterback.

Whittingham: Cam Rising no longer on Utah Football Roster

“I’ve talked to Cam a few times, but that is really up to Cam to divulge (his plan), when he wants to divulge what his plan is,” Coach Whittingham said. “We’ve certainly had communication and you don’t see him on the roster right now, so that should tell you some things there.”

As Whittingham pointed out, Rising is not listed on the 2025 roster, which says more than enough about the situation.

Utah is moving forward with almost an entirely new quarterback room. Devon Dampier is set to be the new starting quarterback, Isaac Wilson is the only returning scholarship quarterback from this past season, while three others -Brendan Zurbrugg, Wyatt Becker, Jamari Ficklin- have also joined the program.

What’s next for Cam Rising?

So, what’s next for the star quarterback? That much is still up in the air, and it won’t be official until Rising makes an announcement but there are options.

It was previously reported that Rising would enter the transfer portal, which is still an option. Rising may also elect to enter the draft process and take on the next phase of his football career. He may even decide to forgo playing football altogether and transition into the next phase of his life.

Rising accomplished a lot with Utah and has proven to be one of the best quarterbacks in program history. Whatever is next for Rising, Ute fans will continue to appreciate and support him.

Cam Rising’s unceremonious conclusion for Utah Football

His 2024 campaign came to a premature and unceremonious end. Rising suffered a finger injury after he was shoved into water coolers by Baylor defender Treven Ma’ae.

In his first game back from the finger injury, Rising suffered a season-ending lower leg injury on the third play from scrimmage. However, he played through the injury and finished the game against Arizona State.

Unfortunately, that game would be the last time Utah fans would see Rising in a Utah uniform. Rising’s injury required surgery and forced him to miss the rest of the 2024 campaign.

RELATED: Cam Rising’s 2024 season has come to an end

The Bad Moon Rising

Rising joined the University of Utah in January of 2019, transferring from Texas with high hopes and a competitive spirit. Utah had just enjoyed its first trip to the Pac-12 Championship game and quarterback Tyler Huntley was entering his senior season. The fit made plenty of sense for both parties.

Rising’s combination of leadership and playmaking quickly made him a fan favorite. His breakout performance throughout the 2021 season, put him on the map as one of the top quarterbacks in college football.

After suffering two early losses, Rising led Utah to their first win over USC in the Coliseum in program history. He quarterbacked the team to a win over a No. 4 ranked Oregon Ducks team in a simply dominant performance. He then led Utah to another win over the Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship game a few weeks later. Lastly, his 62-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, will serve as one of the most memorable moments of his career.

He followed all of that up in 2022 with some of the greatest moments in Utah Football history. His late-game heroics against USC at home will be immortalized by Utah fans. Rising then led Utah to their second-straight championship title, while on a somewhat gimpy leg, cemented his status in the game.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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