Is Cam Rising playing against UCLA? Utah QB's injury status explored

Utah Utes quarterback Cam Rising is yet to make his 2023 debut. He has been rehabilitating from an injury he sustained during last season's Rose Bowl defeat at the hands of the Penn State Nittany Lions this January.

Rising has been a part of Utah's roster since transferring from Texas after the 2018 season. He played in just one game in 2020, as he was ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder. In 2021, he replaced Charlie Brewer as the QB1 after just two games and has been the starter ever since.

Now, Rising is expected to make his return as the starting QB for the Utah Utes during their Week 4 game against the UCLA Bruins. He took part in practice games recently, and coach Kyle Whittingham stated after Tuesday's practice that Rising was slowly getting back at the top of his game, leading to speculations that he might be back for the UCLA showdown this weekend.

This news certainly managed to uplift the mood of Utah fans, leading to them building their hopes of seeing Cam Rising back on the gridiron. He is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in college football at this moment. However, the team is yet to officially make any announcement on the availability of their star QB for Week 4.

Rising had a great season last year before being injured, he went on to rack up 3,034 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns. Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson have been sharing time on the field in his absence this season, and have managed to secure victories in all three games they've played so far, and remain undefeated.

The Utah Utes are back-to-back Pac-12 champions and will be looking forward to making it a three-peat this season and securing their spot in the college football playoffs.

Cam Rising had been an important part of the team in both those championship runs, and his availability in this week's game against the UCLA Bruins might just be what they need to solidify themselves for another Conference championship run.

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How did Cam Rising get injured?

During the third quarter of the Rose Bowl back in January, Rising awkwardly landed on his left foot after picking up the first down and crossing the 35-yard line. He was then tackled by a Penn State player, ultimately leading him to being sidelined for the rest of the game.

Later on, it was discovered that Rising had suffered from a torn ACL, and was ruled out for the rest of the season. He has been rehabbing since his injury and has been making gradual progress. His imminent comeback will be an important factor for Utah as it looks to continue its undefeated 2023 campaign.