Is there a sleeper Heisman candidate in the Big 12 Conference ahead of the 2024 college football season?
The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel joined KSL Sports Zone 97.5 in Utah, and said he thinks Utah quarterback Cam Rising is a sleeper Heisman candidate.
Mandel explained, “I think he’s off the map after missing all of last season. If Utah does have the kind of season we just talked about and wins the Big 12, goes to the Playoff, obvious he had a big season. And I think in this new format, the Heisman will probably go to somebody from a team that made the 12-team Playoff.”
In the 2022 season, the star quarterback threw for 3,034 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and an 83.4 QBR. He also did a great job of controlling possessions, only throwing eight interceptions.
Related: Utah Utes Football 2024 Season Preview and Prediction
The dual-threat quarterback, who is set to begin his 7th season of college football, also added 953 yards on the ground throughout his career, as well as 12 rushing touchdowns.
Last season, even without Rising, the Utah Utes put together an 8-5 record with impressive victories over Florida, UCLA, USC, and Colorado. Rising returns to a group of skill players led by wide receiver Money Parks, who caught 31 passes a year ago and figures to be a huge part of the passing game. One of Rising’s favorite targets from 2022, tight end Chase Kuithe, is back after missing all of last season due to an ACL tear. Transfer receiver Dorian Singer caught 62 passes at Arizona in 2022 and another transfer, Syracuse’s Damien Alford, averages nearly 20 yards per catch.
Last year’s top rusher, Ja’Quinden Jackson, transferred to Arkansas. But the Utes have options — returnees Micah Bernard and Jaylon Glover, along with transfer Anthony Woods, who was all-Big Sky last year with Idaho after gaining 1,155 yards and scoring 16 times.
Utah joined the Big 12 Conference earlier this month and opens the season Thursday, August 29th against Southern Utah. The Utes first game of Big 12 play will come on Saturday, September 21st against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, in what should be one of the best Big 12 football games of the season.
