Texas freshman QB Cameron Rising listed in NCAA transfer portal

It appears that the Texas Longhorns quarterback room is set to lose one of its highest-upside options.

As first noted by The Football Brainiacs, freshman quarterback Cameron Rising’s name is now listed in the NCAA transfer portal, which would mark the former four-star prospect’s departure after only just one season on the Forty Acres.

A one-time Oklahoma pledge, Rising signed with Texas during the early signing period last cycle and enrolled early, providing Tom Herman’s program with the nation’s No. 11 pro-style passer and a top 300 talent nationally. However, his role as the third-string quarterback behind backup Shane Buechele and budding star Sam Ehlinger led to a redshirt season, though Rising was listed ahead of fellow freshman and former four-star quarterback Casey Thompson on the depth chart.

Given how things played out at his position throughout his freshman campaign, though, the path to playing time is now, of course, much foggier than it may have seemed at the time of Rising’s pledge and subsequent signing.

After being unable to do so as a true freshman in 2017, Sam Ehlinger solidified his status as Texas starting gunslinger as a sophomore, completing 256-of-398 passes (64.3%) for 3,123 yards and 25 touchdowns with only five interceptions. The dual-threat gunslinger added another 418-yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, leading the Longhorns to a Big 12 Championship appearance and a New Year’s Six bowl berth along the way.

The sitting starter is set to return to his post as QB1 in 2019, and potentially on into 2020 as well, which, of course, can prove problematic for younger prospects in pursuit of early playing time such as Rising.

With Rising seemingly headed for the exits, Texas will enter the spring with four scholarship quarterbacks on campus.

In addition to a junior Ehlinger, a senior Buechele, and a redshirt freshman Thompson, four-star talent at No. 4 dual-threat quarterback Roschon Johnson is set to enroll early.