Isaac Wilson remains Utah’s future, but is that time already here?

Josh Furlong, KSL.com

SALT LAKE CITY — (KSL.com) Don’t telephone it a backmost contention — astatine slightest not yet.

Cam Rising remains Utah’s starting quarterback, moreover though he’s played conscionable 3.5 quarters of shot complete nan past 2 seasons for nan Utes.

Another Rising wounded has occupied nan conscience of nan 2024 season, leaving different backup to get nan occupation done successful his stead.

That backup, existent freshman Isaac Wilson, is already 2-0 arsenic a starter, pinch some wins coming connected nan roadworthy successful dispute territory. His latest win, a 22-19 triumph successful Stillwater against a classed Oklahoma State team, whitethorn person been his champion capacity to day each things considered.

Wilson still has overmuch to study and amended upon, but he became nan first existent freshman backmost astatine Utah to get a triumph against a classed team. And he did it connected a blistering basking time connected a turf section that registered complete 140 degrees astatine kickoff, successful a venue very fewer teams get a win.

The Cowboys person only 5 losses astatine Boone Pickens Stadium since nan 2019 season, and had a six-game winning streak complete classed opponents successful their location venue until Utah came to town.

Not a bad position to beryllium successful for Utah pinch a existent freshman nether center. But really agelong will that beryllium nan case? It’s nan only point connected people’s mind.

There’s nary mobility Wilson is nan team’s future, but is that clip coming sooner alternatively than later pinch Rising sidelined for nan foreseeable future?

Utah caput coach Kyle Whittingham has been impressed pinch his freshman quarterback, but isn’t rather fresh to make it an unfastened title betwixt his two-time title winning QB and nan caller feline who happens to show a batch of promise.

But Whittingham seems much unfastened to nan thought than he’s ever been.

Whittingham has agelong been emphatic astir Rising being nan “alpha dog” and leader of nan squad — a constituent that’s been proven clip and again, and remains moreover while injured. And though he hasn’t changed his tune, location was a hint Saturday that possibly different backmost could find immoderate abstraction successful that world.

“I don’t deliberation so. Cam Rising’s won 2 championships for us,” Whittingham said erstwhile asked astir a imaginable alteration astatine QB. “He’s 1 of nan apical quarterbacks successful nan country, and erstwhile he’s fresh to go, that astir apt is nan guidance we will go. Can’t spot that being immoderate different. I conjecture you ne'er opportunity never, but can’t spot that changing.”

On nan surface, it’s a no-brainer: Rising is nan unquestioned starter and leader of nan team. He wins games, and his seasoned acquisition nether halfway is unmatched. Utah is importantly amended erstwhile Rising plays.

But there’s nan swipe — erstwhile he plays.

Rising wants to beryllium connected nan section and is nan eventual competitor — a truth proven complete nan years. He has nan utmost respect from his teammates, and they want him connected nan section arsenic overmuch arsenic anyone.

But if injuries proceed to plague nan Ventura, California, native, does Utah person an responsibility to trim its losses and get nan freshmen acclimated to nan crippled earlier, particularly pinch Rising location to enactment arsenic a mentor successful a somewhat controlled environment?

That mobility is only going to turn louder nan longer Rising is sidelined — to nary responsibility of his own.

With Wilson, Utah has a subordinate that presents a benignant of precocious risk, precocious reward situation.

The freshman QB is surely unafraid to return his shots downfield for large gains — sometimes trying to deed tight windows aliases precocious throws for illustration a seasoned — but it whitethorn expose nan discourtesy to unnecessary errors and turnovers arsenic he tries to unit immoderate attempts, though nary truthful acold person been damaging.

But for a caput coach that has ever been consequence averse to turnovers, Whittingham’s not fresh to opportunity that Wilson needs to get blimpish anytime soon. And why should he pinch a defense that almost surely negates immoderate turnover connected nan section — mostly.

“Very proud of nan freshman quarterback,” Whittingham said. “To spell — erstwhile you put things successful perspective, you travel into a No. 14 squad successful nan country’s location stadium pinch a existent freshman (QB), and travel distant pinch a win, that’s beautiful impressive.

“I for illustration that he conscionable kept hanging successful there, and ne'er sewage down connected himself — threw a mates picks, didn’t flinch,” he added. “You saw his expertise to tally — he ripped disconnected that 40- aliases 50-yard run; that was immense astatine that constituent successful clip — dipped his enarthrosis and made different reliable tally down successful nan reddish area that sewage america a first down. He’s conscionable a competitor. He’s a competitor conscionable for illustration Cam is. They’re some conscionable complete, competitory guys that want to triumph and very assured guys.”

The caput shot coach likes what he sees. Wilson’s upside surely outweighs immoderate drawbacks of embracing a existent freshman nether center, moreover pinch a proven seasoned connected nan sidelines.

In a play that sets up good for nan Utes, pinch a Big 12 schedule that could supply nan squad pinch a comparatively easy runway to a assemblage shot playoff, nan safe — and still nan highest violative imaginable — stake remains pinch nan seasoned awesome caller who conscionable truthful happens to cognize what it takes to triumph nan games erstwhile they matter most.

Barring a semipermanent hold for him to get backmost connected nan field, it remains Rising’s occupation to lead Utah to victory. But don’t mobility nan benignant of QB contention that exists nether nan aboveground erstwhile taking everything astatine look value.

It remains a win-now opportunity for Utah, but nan early whitethorn already beryllium wrong reach; and don’t deliberation Whittingham won’t entertain nan action if it becomes nan champion way guardant — now aliases successful nan contiguous future.