Some stories really make you wonder, “What if?” College football has plenty of those, and Cam Rising’s situation definitely raises some questions. The guy had everything set up in college football—he had the talent, the dreams, and the teams ready to let him shine. But his story didn’t quite wrap up the way he wanted it to. Sometimes, there are things you just can’t control, and that’s what happened with Rising. It wasn’t his fault, but it still changed the course of his career.
Rising joined Texas initially in 2019 as a four-star recruit ranked 18th in his position. The hype was there, but Texas’s QB competition and his red-shirting the first year meant that he didn’t see the field. Later, as the COVID period cooled down, the quarterback transferred to Utah in 2020 and finally made his first season as a starter in 2021. In Utah, the quarterback really started to shine.
In his first season as a starter, the quarterback really made a splash with 2,493 passing yards and 500 rushing yards! He had some standout games, including a fantastic performance against USC, where he threw for a whopping 306 yards. Plus, he led the team to a big win over Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game. In 2022, he kept the momentum going, racking up 3,034 passing yards and 455 rushing yards, which helped him snag another Pac-12 title for the team. Unfortunately, after that season, injuries started to take a toll, and he’s had to make the tough decision to medically retire.
In a statement the QB shared on his Instagram, he said that the hand injury he suffered against Baylor last year was the main reason for his retirement. “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 added. “I’ll be obtaining a 3rd 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 journey has been a tough one. It all started with a knee injury during the 2022 Rose Bowl against Penn State, which kept him out for almost the entire 2023 season. Then, just when he was trying to make a comeback in 2024, he hurt his lower leg in a game against Arizona State, limiting him to just three games that year. If that wasn’t enough, a finger injury he suffered during a game against Baylor really put a stop to things. It feels like we’re left wondering what could have happened if he’d been able to play at his full potential for even one season. Those “what ifs” will probably stick with us for a while. But hey, at least we can still celebrate his amazing performances in 2021 and 2022!
Why was Cam Rising allowed an 8th year of college football eligibility?
Rising, even though he had just 3 years of game time, we saw the player stay in college football for 8 whole years. At this time, the QB notched up 6,127 yards along with 53 TDs and with an efficiency of 63%. Moreover, he was also a team leader in the locker room and was made captain, too. But this still begs the question: why was the quarterback allowed to play for 8 years?
The extra year in Rising’s eligibility was because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as all players during this time got an extra year of eligibility. Then came another free year by way of the lawsuit that the NCAA filed against the Justice Department, which gave an extra year of eligibility for the players made to sit out a season because of the transfer eligibility rule at the time.
All in all, these rules enabled the player to play extra years in addition to the year he redshirted in Texas. Rising’s legacy will be beyond these 8 years, as the contribution he made to the team will echo through the generations. In a sense, Rising is the Utah hero who never could get his deserved place in the footballing world, but a player who should have gotten everything with his talent.
The post Cam Rising Confirms the Game That Ended His Career in Heartbreaking Retirement Statement appeared first on EssentiallySports.
