Utah to start Johnson at QB if Rising still out

After two games of deploying a two-quarterback system that has helped Utah start the season 2-0 with starter Cam Rising still sidelined, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told local reporters Monday that freshman Nate Johnson will be the starter for the Utes this week against Weber State if Rising can’t play.

Johnson, a true freshman from Clovis, California, has thrown the ball only 11 times for 88 yards so far this season, but his ability as a dual-threat quarterback has given the Utes’ offense a different dimension.

Through two games, Johnson has tallied 77 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns, including a key score that tied the game late in the fourth quarter against Baylor in a Week 2 win.

Whittingham said Monday that the decision to go with Johnson over Bryson Barnes, who has thrown for 230 yards and a touchdown through two games this season, was not just based on Johnson’s performance in the Baylor win, but rather on “all factors” that he and his staff have evaluated.

“[He’s] still a work in progress,” Whittingham said of Johnson’s abilities as a passer. “So there will be growing pains there.”

Rising has been unable to play so far this season because of ongoing recovery from offseason surgery after he tore an ACL in Utah’s loss to Penn State in the Rose Bowl. According to Whittingham, the senior, who has led the Utes to two straight Pac-12 titles, is practicing without limitations but has yet to be cleared for a game.

Following the nonconference matchup against Weber State, Utah kicks off conference play the following week when it hosts UCLA.