Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising wear a knee brace in 2024?

Cam Rising is undecided on whether or not he’ll wear a knee brace this season.

“I’m not sure,” Rising said of the possibility. “I’m still feeling it out. We’ll decide when it comes closer to the season.”

Whether or not he opts for that layer of protection, the Utes want to keep their QB1 as safe as possible.

After missing all of 2023 while rehabilitating from knee surgery, the seventh-year Utah quarterback has put an emphasis on protecting himself better this season. This offseason Rising worked with coaches to quicken his release and learn how to consistently throw the ball away in different scenarios. His father, Nicko Rising, also indicated that the quarterback will look to take fewer hits this season.

Utes offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig knows that Rising’s health will play a big factor in the Utes’ success in their first season in the Big 12, with potential implications of landing a bid into the 12-team College Football Playoff. Without Rising, the Utes offense finished 11th in the Pac-12 a season ago, averaging a conference-worst 165.8 passing yards per game.

“Design quarterback runs will be limited, if any, especially early in the year,” Ludwig said. “Sometimes we’re going to have to end up just throwing that ball away or getting ourselves out of bounds, but he’s a smart guy and knows that he wants to play for a long time and play every game this season.

“We’re going to do our absolute best as play callers and play designers to protect him. Our guys have to strain all the way across the board. It’s more than just the offensive line. It’s route structure. It’s the backs that pick up all that stuff, and sometimes Cam’s gotta get the ball out of his hands.”

In the past, Rising has been unafraid to take massive hits or scramble outside of the pocket. Whether or not that’ll change this season is yet to be seen. In fall camp, the seventh-year quarterback has been testing out his knee, doing different cuts and zone reads to prepare for the season.

With a largely unproven group of running backs, the Utes could be a pass-heavy offense this season, which would put even greater premiums on Rising’s health and throwing capabilities. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham added a bevy of wide receivers to the roster via the transfer portal in the offseason, with additions like USC transfer wide receiver Dorian Singer and Syracuse transfer wide receiver Damien Alford.

“Competition makes everybody much better,” Rising said. “They have to go out there and prove it each and every play. I think it’s been helping us out on offense just a lot having that much depth.”

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Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising wear a knee brace in 2024?

Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising wear a knee brace in 2024?

Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising wear a knee brace in 2024?

Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising wear a knee brace in 2024?

Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising wear a knee brace in 2024?