Will Cam Rising play vs. Arizona State?

Utah's veteran quarterback has not played since Sept. 7

Utah Utes quarterback Cam Rising has been sidelined with an injury to his throwing hand. It's unclear if he will play against Arizona State on Oct. 11. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When healthy, Cam Rising has proven he is one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

In 2022 he threw for 3,034 yards and 26 touchdowns, to go along with 465 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. He led Utah to a 10-4 record and a Pac-12 championship - and he outplayed then-USC quarterback Caleb Williams in the conference championship game.

• 2 ASU PLAYERS WILL MISS FIRST HALF VS. UTAH

In Utah's Jan. 2, 2023 Rose Bowl matchup vs. Penn State, Rising tore multiple knee ligaments. He sat out the entire 2023 season with the goal of playing one final college season in 2024. Now a seventh-year senior, the 25-year-old dual-threat QB shined in the Utes' 2024 opener, throwing a career-high 5 touchdown passes in a 49-0 win over Southern Utah.

Then the injury bug struck again.

In Utah's second game of the season vs. Baylor on Sept. 7, Rising scrambled to the sideline and was shoved into the water coolers late in the second quarter. He immediately left the game and went to the locker room for X-rays. He has not played since, and it is unclear if he will play in Utah's Big 12 matchup at Arizona State (4-1, 2-1) on Friday.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the injury was a dislocated finger on his throwing hand, as well as stitches for a deep laceration. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has said Rising's status is week to week, and he warmed up on the field before the Utes' last two games.

True freshman Isaac Wilson has taken over in Rising's absence, with mixed results. Wilson, a 4-star recruit out of national high school football power Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah, has completed 55.7% of his passes while throwing 6 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. He struggled in the red zone in Utah's 23-10 loss to Arizona on Sept. 28.

“Left points out there. We were horrible in the red zone. Awful. Awful. Until we get that fixed, we’re going to continue to have problems,” Whittingham said after the game.

Rising has had four weeks to heal and No. 16 Utah (4-1, 1-1) is coming off a bye week. Whittingham is expected to give an injury update on his quarterback during his media availability this week, but it will likely be another week to week declaration.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff are going to have to prepare to face Rising on Friday. With his dual-threat ability and seven years of college experience - he started his college career at Texas in 2018 - Rising presents a multitude of problems.

Utah is currently a 4.5-point favorite over Arizona State, but that line will likely shift if it becomes clear Rising will play. Stay tuned.