Utah qurterback Cameron Rising has retired from football, he announced Wednesday. Rising led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 titles in 2021-22, earning all-conference honors in both seasons. Rising struggled with injuries in his later career, notably suffering a torn ACL in the 2023 Rose Bowl against Penn State and an injured hand against Baylor in 2024 that sidelined him for most of the past two seasons.
“Due to a hand injury I suffered during the Baylor game, I’ve been advised by two orthopedic physicians that I will never be able to return to playing football,” Rising wrote in a statement on social media. “I’ll be obtaining a 3rd medical opinion and will undergo the recommended surgery. I will continue to rehab and do all I can to get healthy. In the meantime, I will unfortunately be forced to medically retire from the game I love.”
In 2018, Rising redshirted as a first-year player at Texas. The next year, he transferred to Utah and was required to sit out by NCAA transfer rules, a statement that feels almost quaint six years later. He suffered an injury during the pandemic season, played two years of Pac-12 championship football and then missed the entire 2023 season with an ACL injury.
When the California native finally came back in 2024, it took only two games before he suffered a major hand injury after getting pushed out of bounds into a cart against Baylor. He managed to fight back and play against Arizona State, but tweaked his knee on the opening drive. Ultimately, Rising threw three interceptions in a 27-19 loss, and was ruled out for the rest of the season after the game. It was his final game in a Utah uniform, and an unceremonious end for a program legend.
Before the 2024 season, Rising became eligible for another year after the NCAA changed its rules so his transfer redshirt in 2019 would not count. At the time, he told the Action Network that “seven years is more than enough.”
Despite the injuries, Rising put together a legendary career for the Utes. He threw for more than 6,000 yards, rushed for nearly 1,000 and scored 65 touchdowns in 30 appearances. Rising went 20-7 as a starting quarterback.
However, his injuries set Utah back tremendously. In 2023, Whittingham said Rising could be ready for the opener against Florida. He ultimately missed the entire season as the Utes went from picked No. 1 in the Pac-12 to 8-5. The next year, Utah was the favorite during their first year in the Big 12. His injury kicked off a 5-7 record, including an astonishing seven straight losses to finish with a losing record for the first time since 2013. The passing offense was bottom-two in their league in both seasons.
The Utes brought in three scholarship quarterbacks to join Isaac Wilson, including star New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig also resigned after two straight disappointing offenses.
As for Rising’s next step. He’ll try his hand at coaching. He has accepted a position at his alma mater of Newbury Park (California) High School, where he’ll serve as offensive coordinator.