Cameron Rising's week-to-week well being status has formally turn out to be “a thing” — which is even a stretch to start with. Anything “official” concerning the Utah quarterback's availability ought to include a disclaimer.
Believe at your personal danger.
The quantity of hypothesis, innuendo, projection and (rising) annoyance from followers surrounding Rising's well being status deserves its personal pregame present.
Will he play? Won't he? Street garments or dressed out? Forget Waldo, the place's Cam? Now let's take this industrial break to catch our breath.
In case you missed him — and sooner or later you most likely have — Rising is Utah's 25-year-old fire-starter in his seventh season of eligibility who's Utah's greatest participant. He led the Utes to consecutive Pac-12 titles and back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. But the final time we noticed him full a complete season was 2021.
Nothing incorrect with that. Injuries occur. Rising performed harm in 2022 and was ultimately knocked out within the remaining sport of that season within the Rose Bowl in opposition to Penn State with a shredded knee. He subsequent surfaced 606 days later within the 2024 season opener … however was injured once more per week later in opposition to Baylor. More on that beneath.
What has emerged amid the weekly Rising Watch sits between typical damage reporting cageyness at greatest and conspiracy at worst. Someone, someplace ought to have been extra forthright.
Whatever it was, it actually wasn't regular, even in a sport that generally makes a sport of charades out of damage info.
It has gotten so bizarre that Utah message board geniuses out of the blue have significant perspective.
From utefan2:
“Time to move on from an injury-prone starter.
Yes. Thank you for your heart and grit, but I believe at this point he's doing more harm than good.
Cam went all fall getting QB1 reps and now he stands on the sidelines watching again.
For the second year in a row, Cam is the highest-paid NIL player on the team. Not much return on that investment.”
From utefan78:
“I've been a big fan of Rising, but I'm tired of the circus surrounding if he plays or not.”
From csarge523:
“It's not Cam's fault. The distraction is solely on Whitt's [coach Kyle Whittingham] handling of the injury. Just tell us the … truth.”
All legitimate observations. Now combine in …
- NIL: Rising makes not less than $1 million this season. In this confounding world of participant compensation, is it crass to ask if Utah if getting a return on funding?
- Recruiting: Does Rising's continued presence — or not — affect Utah's future recruiting of quarterbacks?
- Isaac Wilson: The youthful brother of former BYU QB Zach Wilson might start to reply that query. Wilson is 1-1 in his two begins with 4 interceptions and two touchdowns in Rising's absence.
Or does Rising merely deserve to rehab at his personal tempo with essentially the most trustworthy of intentions irrespective of how clumsily his availability is communicated?
And whereas the loss to Arizona on Saturday was crippling, the Utes, picked to win the Big 12 within the preseason, nonetheless have all their objectives in entrance of them. This Utah bye week permits us to calm down, rethink and … rehab.
This began as a result of Rising's availability in 2023 whereas rehabbing his injured knee grew to become a weekly train in hypothesis. There was God, nation and game-time determination concerning the quarterback in 2023.
It wasn't till Week 6 final season that the quarterback confirmed what many had suspected the entire time: That damage in opposition to Penn State was no trifle. It was devastating. He was out for the season. Torn MCL, ACL, MPFL and meniscus.
With all that occurring, by some means Rising had been given clearance to observe in early September.
“I was going to play as early as I could,” Rising informed CBS Sports earlier than the season. “It was a time it was really looking likely for me at Florida [in the season opener]. During fall camp I didn't manage it as well as I possibly could. It set me back.”
The weekly dance across the damage report campfire continues. Rising missed his third sport Saturday since chopping his fingers after being shoved out of bounds in opposition to the Bears on Sept. 7.
“We're not trying for any gamesmanship or any of that stuff,” Whittingham mentioned of Rising final week.
Except … that is kind of what it seemed like. Or worse. That's what comes with not less than the notion of not being direct with damage info.
Again, csarge523:
[This] goes again to the dealing with of the how the damage is communicated to the media and fan base. They ought to've simply mentioned, “This will take 3-4 weeks to heal.” End of story.
Utah would not be the primary to obfuscate. A sure sign-stealing scandal final season reminded us of the lengths groups will go to win.
Let's be clear — this is not that. Weekly game-time determination notifications generally turn out to be a superb artwork unto themselves. They've additionally turn out to be tedious at occasions. Bill Belichick famously listed Tom Brady on the damage report for three years. During half of that point, Brady was within the course of of enjoying 127 straight video games.
But Utah additionally has to perceive how this appears to be like to the surface world. In maintaining the opponent ill-informed, the followers, the media and even the playing group deserve higher.
All the Power Four conferences use Matt Holt, founder of US Integrity in Las Vegas, as a playing integrity monitor. They have to for the reason that Supreme Court allowed state-sponsored sports activities betting in 2018.
Holt has urged across-the-board, full transparency damage experiences to hold sketchy info impacting level spreads. That's a great factor. If we do not know or belief who is aware of the very important info, we won't place confidence in whether or not the video games themselves are legit.
The SEC and Big Ten get it. They have listened this season, every requiring their groups to problem damage experiences itemizing availability two hours earlier than sport time.
“We constantly tell colleges, ‘If you continue to hide information for gamesmanship or competitive advantage purposes, you are putting your student-athletes, trainers, equipment managers and assistant coaches in a heightened-risk category,' Holt told CBS Sports. “When betting teams begin to work out, ‘Hey, this coach will not disclose damage info,' … now there's actual worth to getting that inside info.”
Mandating injury reports would solve this problem. The Big 12 and ACC don't require them at the moment, but like all the other conferences, they soon will. The last thing college football needs is a gambling scandal.
It's probably unfair to fade Rising on this because he definitely has an injury history. But he's certainly not going to hide anything from the NFL, which is aware of what you are going to have for breakfast earlier than you get up.
Who can blame Rising for attempting to stretch the faculty expertise so far as it will go? If that is actually what that is. Rising apparently has an eighth 12 months of eligibility if he can get a medical waiver from the NCAA.
The common NFL profession is 2 ½ years. Rising has tripled that in school.
“Absolutely,” Rising mentioned of trying ahead to the NFL. “That's definitely been a dream of mine. I just took the long route to get there.”
If solely that route would turn out to be a bit clearer in phrases of accidents and how they're reported.
