Cam Rising injury: What happened to ex-Utah QB that led to retirement at 25

Cam Rising has announced his retirement from football. The former Utah quarterback steps away from the game after dealing with multiple long-term injuries in the last couple of seasons. He made his decision known with a statement on his social media pages on Wednesday.

“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.

“I’ll be obtaining a third 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.”

Rising’s latest injury came in the game against Arizona State in October 2024. On Utah’s opening drive of the game, defensive lineman Jeff Clark delivered a hit on him as he released the ball, appearing to come down on Rising’s right ankle. This marked his last game for Utah.

Cam Rising is now set to embark on a coaching career, starting at the high school level. He is returning to his alma mater, Newbury Park (California), as an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. His addition to the staff excites the school’s coach, Joe Smigiel.

"The knowledge and experience he brings is unmatched," Smigiel said, as per Sports Illustrated. "Not all great players are great coaches, but Cam knows his stuff and has the ability to communicate it to the players. He has already taught Brady so much in a short amount of time. We are very lucky to have him join our already great staff."

Cam Rising’s injury-marred college football career

Cam Rising’s career was repeatedly disrupted by injuries. He redshirted at Texas in 2018 before transferring to Utah, where he redshirted again in 2019. In 2020, he earned the starting role and took the field against USC, only to suffer a season-ending shoulder injury in the encounter.

The quarterback was handed the starting role two games into the 2021 season and appeared in 13 games that year, leading the Utes to the Pac-12 title. He returned in 2022 to lead the Utes to another Pac-12 championship but suffered an injury in the Rose Bowl against USC.

The injury against the Trojans kept him out of the entire 2023 college football season. However, he returned in 2024 after taking a medical redshirt. Rising appeared in three games for Utah last season before suffering another injury that ended his season.

There were talks of Rising returning for another season in 2025 after taking a medical redshirt in the 2024 season. That would be his eighth season in college football. However, his latest decision has ruled out the possibility.