UCLA Football: Why Chip Kelly Is Worried About Cam Rising's Backup In Utah
After tearing his knee in Utah's Rose Bowl loss to Penn State to begin 2023, many are speculating when Utes QB Cam Rising may return to the field for this regular season.
With UCLA next on their schedule, Utah's backup QB has filled Rising's shoes quite nicely, giving Bruins head coach Chip Kelly an interesting conundrum for who to game plan for.
The Utes’ quarterback situation remained unresolved as of Monday, but Whittingham sounded like someone preparing to go with Johnson as his starter for a second consecutive game. Kelly called Johnson “maybe one of the fastest quarterbacks in the country” while also acknowledging his dual-threat capabilities. Yet the coach noted that his team is mostly preparing for the tendencies of Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who runs a similar scheme no matter who is playing quarterback. If Rising is able to play for the first time in eight months, it would provide a massive boost to a team seeking its third consecutive Pac-12 title.
Though Rising may not be back to full health in time for the upcoming tilt, Nate Johnson has performed admirably in his stead as the Utes are owners of an undefeated record to begin 2023 and the 11th ranked team in the nation.
UCLA, to their credit, have solved their own quarterback issue as Dante Moore has been unstoppable in his first few appearances for the team.
Unranked to begin the year, the Bruins have made their way into the top 25 thanks in large part to Moore's efforts as the confirmed full time signal caller for the school.
Whoever the Utes send out to take the field as their quarterback this weekend will pose an immediate problem no matter what, but Kelly and his roster must be up for it in an early season conference test.
