The Utah Utes are coming off a memorable season that saw them earn a spot in the Rose Bowl after winning the Pac-12 title. They stumbled early in 2021 with two losses in their first three games, but got it together, especially down the stretch when they also defeated the Oregon Ducks late in the regular season — and in the Pac-12 championship game. Expectations are high in 2022 for the Utes, and with that said, here are two predictions in the upcoming campaign for Utah football.

2. Cameron Rising tops 2021 performance

Cameron Rising is easily the most important player for Utes football in the 2022 college football season. With Rising returning to Utah, the program is assured of a genuinely good leader under center who has the experience and the numbers to command attention. In 2021, Rising,s sophomore year, he passed for 2,493 yards and 20 touchdowns with only five interceptions under his name.

He completed 63.8 percent of his pass attempts and was the main engine of Utah football’s offense that generated the 13th-best offense in the nation, one that averaged 35.8 points per game. In addition to that, the Utes also put up 429.8 total yards per game, which was top 40 nationally. With the performance he put up in 2021, it’s only right that Cameron Rising is getting plenty of attention ahead of his junior year in college. Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham recognizes the clear importance of Rising to the Utes, especially after the quarterback’s breakout season in 2021 (which followed a lost 2020 campaign due to injury).