Utah freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson will be Cam Rising’s backup to start the 2024 season.
“Right now Cam Rising is No. 1 and Isaac Wilson is No. 2,” Whittingham said on Monday. “We’re still working through the (others), but without much debate Cam is one and Isaac is two.”
After arriving in the spring as an early enrollee, the freshman quarterback and four-star recruit has risen quickly on Utah’s depth chart. The Utes head coach credited Wilson’s mobility, intangibles and decision making among the factors in the choice to make Wilson the backup. The move comes after a near two-week fall camp battle between Wilson, Brandon Rose and Cal Poly transfer Sam Huard.
“Isaac is going continue to get better each day,” Whittingham said. “He’s seeing the field better. He’s making better decisions. He’s got a live arm and the ball comes out of his hand like it’s supposed to. He’s very mobile, and that’s another facet that is really a strength of his. He has been able to have escapability in the pocket and senses the rush very well, and he’s able to get himself out of jams and still make a play run.”
Wilson is the younger brother to former BYU and current Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson.
It’s unclear who will be Utah’s third- and fourth-string quarterbacks, but Whittingham says that Wilson will have a “strong hold” on the backup slot behind Rising for the rest of the season.
“Right now Isaac has a good hold (on the backup position),” Utah’s head coach said. “We have a pecking order, which is the most critical aspect, and we’ll see how that three and four spot will shape out.”