What’s next for Utah football? Big decisions are looming

PASADENA, Calif. — Now that No. 8 Utah has completed its 2022 season after a 35-21 loss to No. 11 Penn State in the Rose Bowl, there are plenty of questions to be answered. 

Who’s coming back for the Utes? Who’s leaving? What is the extent of quarterback Cam Rising’s injury, which he suffered in the third quarter against the Nittany Lions? 

“It doesn’t look good; I can tell you that,” coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game about Rising’s injury. “Looks like it could be something that takes a while to recover from.”

And can Utah compete for a third consecutive Pac-12 title next season? 

“Our guys played hard, though. Proud of them. We just have to keep coming back to this game until we get it right. It took us three times in the Pac-12 championship before we got the win, so we’ve got to make sure that we try to continue to get better.” — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham

While there are questions, and some uncertainty, surrounding the program, there’s a lot of disappointment about the outcome of Monday’s game. 

“Our guys played hard, though. Proud of them. We just have to keep coming back to this game until we get it right,” Whittingham said. “It took us three times in the Pac-12 championship before we got the win, so we’ve got to make sure that we try to continue to get better.

“I know the landscape is changing,” he added. “The Rose Bowl is not going to be in the traditional spot, but whatever New Year’s Six bowl we can get back to, we’ve got to figure that out, or the CFP, one of the two. Love the team that we’ve got coming back next year. Got a lot of talented players, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

But who, exactly, will he be working with?

At the top of the list is Rising. His injury, which Whittingham said after the game seemed serious, indicates that he may return to the Utes in 2023.

Asked during the week if the Rose Bowl would be his final college game, Rising responded, “You’ll find out soon.”

Could the result of the game have a bearing on his decision? 

“It could. It could,” Rising said. “Yep.”

The deadline for declaring for the NFL draft is Jan. 16. 

Others have decisions to make about the future, including tight end Brant Kuithe, wide receiver Devaughn Vele and running back Micah Bernard. 

“We only have seven seniors, so what you see with us is going to be very similar next year. We will have some guys that move on to the next level, underclassmen, but we also have those conversations and give our guys advice when they seek it,” Whittingham said Sunday.

“You’ve got to be careful when you have those conversations because it’s got to be their decision. You can’t be too forceful one way or the other because ultimately it’s their careers, their lives. Our stance has always been during the season, it’s all about the team. After the season, it’s always about what’s best for the individual. That’s our approach. We’ll see what happens here with some of our underclassmen, but I think we’re going to get the vast majority of them returning, and that would be a good thing for us.”

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Utah hauled in an impressive recruiting class in December and it has plenty of young players that will return. The future appears bright for the Utes and they are proud of what they accomplished in 2022.  

“A lot of positives this season. Back-to-back Pac-12 championships, 10-win seasons. Only been done, I believe, six or seven times in the program’s history, and second appearance in the Rose Bowl,” Whittingham said. “As disappointed as we are and as bitter as this is, still a lot to build on, and definitely the season overall was a step in the right direction for our program. We’ve got to continue that.”

Linebacker Karene Reid expressed his disappointment in the way the season concluded. 

“We’re obviously grateful to have made it to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row,” he said. “Like coach Whitt said, there’s a lot of positives from the season and the season before. But it’s definitely disappointing the way it ended this year.”

As for players that are trying to decide their future prospects, Utah’s coaches try to help where they can. 

“Oh, as much as possible. Coach Whittingham is obviously the one that’s going to spearhead that. He talks to all the scouts. We’ve got our scouting department. I’ll talk to the scouts when they want to ask me questions about kids,” said defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. “We just want to make sure we’re doing what’s best for the kid, and if you don’t do that, man, it’s tough for those guys to ever come back to your program.

“Again, what’s best for the kid is telling them what we feel, what the scouts are telling us,” Scalley continued. “Sometimes that’s, hey, you should move on, or hey, we think you should come back; here are the reasons why; here’s what the scouts think. As much of an informed decision as they can — we provide as much feedback as we can.”

Vele said this week that he is planning to consult with former teammate Britain Covey, who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I’m going to talk to him after this week and get his opinion on where I’m at and what he thinks I should do,” he said. “It’s not going to be like, whatever he says is what I’m going to do. It’s good advice to hear from somebody that’s been through this and done it. It’s something that could sway my decision at the end.”

A lot of decisions to be made. A lot of time until next season. 

Utah kicks off the 2023 campaign on Sept. 2 at home against Florida.