Cam Rising, Brant Kuithe, Lander Barton out for the season

LOS ANGELES — Utah quarterback Cam Rising, tight end Brant Kuithe and linebacker Lander Barton are out for the season, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after Utah’s 34-32 win over USC Saturday.

Rising and Kuithe never played this season for the Utes after Rising underwent surgery in January to repair his torn ACL, meniscus, MPFL and MCL and Kuithe had surgery to repair a torn ACL last October.

Barton, who played in every one of Utah’s game thus far this season, suffered an injury in the second half of Saturday’s game and returned to the field on crutches.

The sophomore linebacker had two interceptions, including a pick-six, and a forced fumble this season and led Utah in tackles against USC with nine.

“We’ve been hoping for them each week, but medical staff is the ones who make those calls. We’re not going to question that at all. That’s just not how we operate, so there’s a medical decision to shut them down for the rest of the year. The safest thing to do for them, gives them the best chance to get back to 100%, and so 100% on board with that,” Whittingham said of Rising and Kuithe.

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Earlier in the week, Whittingham said that if either player wanted to return to Utah, a medical redshirt would be a “slam dunk.” If Rising or Kuithe were to return, it would be their seventh year of college football.

“It’s pretty much a slam dunk nowadays. ... I shouldn’t say a slam dunk, but 99%, how about that?” Whittingham said on Monday.

Whittingham said postgame Saturday that he hasn’t yet had conversations with Rising or Kuithe about if they would want to return to Utah.

“That decision is not made right now, so that’s the next thing to happen is determine what they (want), because they got a lot of options,” Whittingham said.

Levani Damuni, who has played in all of Utah’s games so far, will slide in as starting linebacker with Barton out, Whittingham said.

Utah has now lost eight players to season-ending injuries — running backs Micah Bernard and Chris Curry, wide receiver Mycah Pittman, tight end Thomas Yassmin and defensive end Logan Fano are all out for the year.