SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) - It was a long time coming, but Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe were both back on the football field Tuesday afternoon as the Utes kicked off spring practice.
After both players missed the entire 2023 seasons recovering from knee surgeries, Rising and Kuithe were both thrilled to be out there with their teammates again.
"It was pretty surreal," said Rising, who will be the Utes starting quarterback once again. "Just have been a long time coming and just this fired up to be back with the guys. It was great and just yeah phenomenal day."
"It's just been hard the past two years not being able to play," said Kuithe, who hasn't played since September 24, 2022. "It's good to be back with all the guys spring ball. I Wish it was a little sunny, but it is what it is. I love being out here."
Perhaps the only person happier than Rising and Kuithe to see them back on the field was head coach Kyle Whittingham.
"They both help tremendously in so many ways," Whittingham said. "Not just with their play, but with their leadership, their work ethic. And it's just great to have back.
Both Rising and Kuithe could have left for the NFL at the end of last season. But they felt they had to prove themselves on the field again before they had a chance to move on to the next level. Plus, their ultimate goal of leading the Utes to the College Football Playoffs is still out there.
"I feel like there's just meat left on the bone right here, and I want to go finish that," said Rising, who led Utah to two Pac-12 Championships in 2021 and 2022. "I just really want to make sure that we can go win a championship and go to the playoffs. That's really my goal this season."
"Sitting out for two years doesn't really put me in a good position for the next level," said Kuithe, who has 16 career touchdown catches. "Seeing the team that we have back, and especially Cam coming back, definitely helped me in my decision to come back."
Rising and Kuithe are both back to being 100 percent healthy with no restrictions and with a new appreciation for the game.
"Whenever you can go play with guys that you have that chemistry with already, it just makes it that much easier," Rising said. "Even adding some new additions just makes it just that much better."
The Utes will have 14 more spring practices, culminating in the 22 Forever Spring Game on April 13.