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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Star Utah quarterback Cam Rising is doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Florida Gators and is not expected to play, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Rising is 18-6 as a starter — the fifth-most wins by any quarterback in Utah history — and has thrown for 5,572 yards and 46 touchdowns while leading the No. 14 Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 titles.
Junior Bryson Barnes is expected to start Thursday night against the Gators (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET), with dynamic redshirt freshman Nate Johnson also expected to see snaps in a change-of-pace role. Barnes is a former walk-on who won his only career start at Washington State last year when Rising was a late scratch.
Rising tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl against Penn State, and his return had long been viewed as close to the start of this season. It’s still unclear when he’ll return, as Rising told local media this week that he’s feeling “pretty damn good.”
Utah, coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons, plays at Baylor in Week 2 — another marquee game amid one of the country’s toughest nonconference schedules.
There’s also some ambiguity about the status of Utes tight end Brant Kuithe, as coach Kyle Whittingham refused earlier this week to acknowledge whether he’d been cleared to play against the Gators. Kuithe is also returning from an ACL injury.
Barnes appeared in 10 games last year, completing 37 of 57 passes for four touchdowns and two interceptions. He was 10-for-19 for 12 yards with one TD and one interception after replacing Rising in the Rose Bowl loss to Penn State.
Johnson will bring a run element for his snaps, as he’s a former high school track star who is expected to be seen in Wildcat looks. He also threw a touchdown on his only throwing attempt last year, a 16-yarder against Stanford.