Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
LAS VEGAS — Utah learned quickly last season how important it was to have an effective quarterback.
Other injuries helped contribute to Utah's down season, but it was inefficient quarterback play that was the story of the season.
So having Cam Rising back in the fold is a breath of fresh air for Kyle Whittingham and everyone involved in the Utah football program. It was openly talked about in spring camp — the improved QB play and ease of the passing game — and was further made evident at Big 12 media days in Las Vegas.
"Having Cam Rising back, that's the biggest factor for us this season is to have Cam back at quarterback," Whittingham said. "He's the alpha dog of the football team, the unquestioned leader. And we have to keep him upright this year. We keep him upright, we've got a really good chance.
"He immediately makes us better," he added. "And Cam has that 'it' factor. As much as he does for us in play, it's his leadership that really is probably the most valuable asset that he brings to the football team. He's one of those guys that's able to make everybody around him better, and that's really what a great player does, is he makes his supporting cast play better."
But keeping him upright is the name of the game. For Utah to have the success it hopes to have — a playoff bid — Rising has to remain healthy.
For that reason, Whittingham said the coaching staff has had conversations with their star quarterback about different ways to keep him healthy throughout the season — at least with the types of injuries that could seemingly be prevented.
"We've got to make sure that he's using good judgment," Whittingham said. "Now, he's such a fierce competitor, that's easier said than done. But, yeah, there's things we've already had conversations with — we're taking some hits off him and not necessarily needing to get that extra yard when we don't need it.
"There's times and places where you've gotta pick your spots, but you've got to be smart, you've gotta be judicious when you carry the football."
Rising, though, still has the mindset that you've got to "go out there and do whatever you've got to do to win." He's proven that time and again as Utah's starter, and Whittingham is hesitant to take that away from Rising.
Those conversations about staying healthy will likely continue on a week-to-week basis, though.
Utah is one hit, one injury away from having to test their depth at the quarterback position. But unlike last season, Whittingham said he has a "great deal of confidence" in who he has backing up Rising.
One of the biggest questions entering fall camp at the end of the month will be who is QB2.
Freshman Isaac Wilson made big strides in spring and looked like the best option to backup Rising, but the competition for QB2 is not settled just yet — especially since Utah added former Washington and Cal Poly transfer quarterback Sam Huard to the roster after the spring game.
Huard has experience as a starting quarterback — he threw 18 touchdowns and 2,247 yards on a 60.7% passing at Cal Poly — but has yet to fully integrate into Utah's system. He's with the team, has the playbook, and has Rising as an asset to call upon, but the coaching staff wants to see him run their system.
"We feel like he's a very good player," Whittingham said. "He's got to fit into our system, which we think he is a good fit or we wouldn't have recruited him, but looking forward to getting him on the field and seeing how he can put that into place."
That's a tight timeline, especially with the majority of reps geared toward Rising.
But Rising said working with Huard, who is a lefty, has been "great."
"He's been doing a great job just learning the offense," Rising said. "He seems like a student of the game, so he just wants to always continue to learn and just ask me little questions here and there about the details of plays or footwork and stuff like that. Sometimes I find myself getting a little confused trying to flip it from right hand to left hand when I'm explaining it, but it's been fun."
Huard will get an equal chance to compete with Wilson and Brandon Rose in fall, but he joins a competition that was already "neck and neck" in spring.
Whittingham said Wilson had "a phenomenal spring, especially the second half." He needs to continue to work on his timing to adapt to the college game, but as he's become more comfortable with the speed of the game and the offense in general, "he was really playing good football."
"Had an outstanding spring game, the culmination of spring ball," Whittingham said. "So we think he's got a great future."
But Rose is in the mix, too. In 2023, Rose looked the part in spring and was on pace to be the team's backup before injury derailed his progress in fall and "really set him back," Whittingham said.
"He was never really able to recover from that," he added. "But that's all behind him now, and both him and Isaac had terrific springs."
Rose had a more muted spring showcase, but Whittingham maintained that he made big strides throughout camp. It's why there hasn't been a consensus direction — at least publicly — as to who has a leg up in the competition.
"I can say for certain Isaac Wilson and Brandon Rose had very good springs and are coming into fall camp essentially neck and neck," Whittingham said. "And now you add Sam to that mix, we've got to find out what he can do. So the only thing we know for certain at quarterback is Cam is our guy, but the pecking order beyond that is to be determined."
Stay tuned.
