For over a month now, there has been a great deal of public mystery — and thus conjecture — surrounding the injury Utah Utes quarterback Cam Rising sustained during the Rose Bowl last month.
Last Friday, Rising made an appearance on ESPN 700 with Bill Riley and confirmed what many figured, that he had torn his ACL.
Rising, who announced on Jan. 9 (exactly a week after the bowl game) that he will be returning to play for the Utes this fall, outlined with Riley what the last month has been like and his prognosis for being ready for the 2023 season.
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Here are some of the highlights from the conversation:
- Rising said he underwent surgery, “and now just more rehab.”
- He said the noncontact injury occurred when he tried to cut inside on his left foot, “and it gave right then and there. ... I had a feeling that it was something pretty serious out there on the field.”
- Rising said his surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who has performed ACL surgeries on many high-profile athletes in the country (Rising said he also performed teammate Brant Kuithe’s ACL surgery last fall).
- Now, four weeks out since his surgery, Rising said rehab in California (where he is from) is 5-6 times per week, and he goes to two different places.
- Rising said he fully hopes to be ready to go by the beginning of the season. “It’s just up to me, and I gotta make sure I’m doing everything that I can to make sure that I’m ready for fall camp and then ready to go once the season comes around,” he said.
- Rising said offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig (who is reportedly the frontrunner for the same position at Notre Dame) has been keeping in regular contact with him, as has head coach Kyle Whittingham. Rising added that he’s looking forward to meeting new receivers coach Alvis Whitted and the new players on the team.
- On the topic of his decision to come back for another season at Utah, Rising said he made it “about a week or two before” the Rose Bowl.
- He joked that there was “a lot of peer pressure from Brant,” but added, “Everything lined up and just made sense for me to come back. I just think we have a great team that has a great opportunity to do some really special things again.”
- On whether or not the Utes’ 2023 schedule is the toughest since he’s been at Utah, Rising said, “Yeah, absolutely. Just looking forward to the opportunity to play some good football teams.”
- Rising said the constant nature of doing rehab is the most difficult part, and that “it gets a little rigorous.”
- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has a history with Rising’s same injury, is one person whom the Utah quarterback has talked to.