Utah QB Cameron Rising announces return to school for 2023 season

Another veteran quarterback is returning to college.

Utah’s Cameron Rising announced Monday that he will be back in Salt Lake City next fall as a sixth-year senior. Rising has been Utah’s starting quarterback for the past two seasons and has led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 titles and Rose Bowl appearances.

Over the past two seasons, Rising has thrown for 5,527 yards and 46 touchdowns while rushing for 964 yards and 12 scores. Now with his return official, Rising will get the chance to add to those totals in 2023.

Rising began his career at Texas before transferring to Utah in 2020. Rising opened 2020 as the Utes’ starter but was injured in Week 1. He began the 2021 season as the backup before taking over for Charlie Brewer in Week 3. He has started every game he’s played since, amassing a 19-6 record as a starter.

Utah went 10-4 this season, falling to Penn State in the Rose Bowl after beating USC in the Pac-12 title game. Rising was injured in the Rose Bowl and it’s unclear what his timetable to return to the field will be. After the Rose Bowl, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Rising’s injury “doesn’t look good” and “could be something that it takes a while to recover from.”

In addition to Rising, Utah tight end Brant Kuithe and wide receiver Devaughn Vele also announced a return for next season on Monday. Kuithe, who suffered a season-ending injury in September, has 148 career receptions. Vele caught 55 passes for 695 yards and five touchdowns this season. Another Utah tight end, Thomas Yassmin, will also be back, he announced Sunday.

With so many of the team’s top upperclassmen returning, Utah will be among the favorites to win the Pac-12 yet again in 2023.

And the return of Rising adds to the depth of quarterback talent in the Pac-12 with USC’s Caleb Williams, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix among the signal callers who will return to school next fall.