Bad Moon Rising: Cameron Rising to Transfer to Utah

Quarterback Cameron Rising announced this afternoon on his Twitter account that he will transfer to the Utah Utes. Rising, a four-star recruit coming out of Newberry Park High School in Newberry Park, Calif., originally signed with the Texas Longhorns in the 2018 recruiting class (the same recruiting class where Utah signed Jack Tuttle), but after one year in Austin, he decided to look for a change of scenery.

From the rumors I have heard, it sounds like Rising wanted to get closer to home, and he did not like how much Texas ran quarterback Sam Ehlinger this year (Ehlinger also establishing himself as the starter as a sophomore was also likely a factor). Playing in the Pac-12 for Utah means Rising is guaranteed one game in California every season.

Rising had his chose of schools coming out of high school. He was originally committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, but he flipped to Texas where he ultimately signed. He had offers from teams in every Power Five conference, including blue blood programs like the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, and Penn State Nittany Lions. Over half of the Pac-12 (although not Utah because they had Tuttle committed) offered Rising.

Despite being listed as a pro-style passer, Rising has above average mobility. In his highlights below, Rising shows off both his rushing and passing. He is a great fit for the Utah offense. Utah likes quarterbacks who are passers first but can run when needed and have the ability to extend the play. Rising is a master at evading pressure while keeping his eyes downfield.

Adding Rising mitigates the transfer of Tuttle to the Indiana Hoosiers and the loss of 2019 quarterback Jayden Daniels to the Arizona State Sun Devils, who for a long time looked like a lock to Utah. Rising will have to sit out in 2019 and will be eligible to play in 2020 as a redshirt sophomore (he redshirted this year at Texas).

Welcome to Utah Cameron Rising!