No. 14 Utah and Florida are set to kick off Week 1 of college football with a marquee Pac-12 vs. SEC matchup. The Utes could announce their dark horse College Football Playoff candidacy with a big performance. The Gators could push for a Top 25 ranking if they pull off the upset.
Unfortunately, both side of the matchup have massive injury question marks hanging over the game.
Utah has the highest profile of those with star quarterback Cam Rising hoping to make a comeback after suffering a devastating knee injury in the 2023 Rose Bowl.
Utah vs. Florida injury update: Is Cam Rising playing?
The simple answer is: We don't know and we may not know until 10 minutes before kickoff, as the Utes joked about this week.
Kyle Whittingham told reporters that he won't elaborate on the depth chart released by the Utes which listed Rising as the starting quarterback, per Josh Furlong of KSL.
That doesn't mean the Rising will definitely play. His participation remains a game-time decision and neither the QB nor the coach has indicated whether he has been cleared to play.
However, on Monday the quarterback, who has been limited in practice in August, did say he feels "pretty damn good," per Furlong.
Utah injury update: Is Brant Kuithe playing?
Tight end Brant Kuithe was also listed on the official depth chart as the No. 1 tight end but his status is similarly unknown.
Kuithe tore his ACL in late September, ending his 2022 season early.
He has been participating in practice this August but on a limited basis at least through Aug. 18.
Florida injury report: Two starters in question for Gators
Florida has their own injury concerns ahead of Thursday's matchup with two startrs listed as questionable for the game.
The biggest concern surrounds starting center Kingsley Eguakun, who suffered an injury during fall camp in mid-August. Eguakun is an experienced 26-game starter but the lower-body injury has him in doubt. Redshirt sophomore Jake Slaughter is his backup.
Defensive tackle Chris McClellan is also dealing with a lower-body injury and got a "questionable" tag in the team's Week 1 injury report. He had 23 tackles,1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. His co-starter Caleb Banks will have to carry the load if McClellan can't go.
Finally, backup quarterback Jack Miller is also listed as questionable with tendinitis.
