Utah finds itself in the same position it was in last week at the quarterback spot. Which is to say Cameron Rising is still limited and the other three quarterbacks battling for the No. 2 spot are still battling.

Coach Kyle Whittingham met with reporters Tuesday following practice and said the quarterback situation is “still in flux.”

“Cam is under the same restrictions and the other three guys are taking reps,” he said, via UteZone. “Our first extensive live work will be Thursday. We’ve got a big scrimmage on Thursday. Hopefully by Monday we’ll have a pecking order and can continue to progress with the quarterback position. Again, Cam is in the mode he’s in until doctors tell us he can progress from there.”

Utah opens the season at home on Thursday, Aug. 31, against Florida. All throughout the offseason, Whittingham and the Utes have expressed public confidence that Rising will be ready to go for the opener.

It’s Rising’s fifth season with the program. It’s also Andy Ludwig’s fifth season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. There’s enough of a relationship and an understanding there that Whittingham admitted Rising’s status could linger closer to the start of the year and Utah would still be comfortable starting him against the Gators.

“There will be a time when that starts to get a little bit tenuous, though,” Whittingham said. “If we get a week out and he’s still not ready to roll, then we’ve got to make some decisions. But, there’s a level of confidence and comfort between those two guys. Cam knows the offense inside-out.”

With Rising limited, the Utes are splitting reps between Bryson Barnes, Nate Johnson, and Brandon Rose. In the spring, Utah prioritized developmental reps for Johnson and Rose. Now that fall camp has opened, Barnes is back in the picture. And, according to Whittingham, he has the edge.

“He’s just making less mistakes,” Whittingham said. “He knows the offense better than the other two right now. He’s a little more consistent, a little more steady. The other two guys have bright futures and can make some spectacular plays here and there, but it is all about taking care of the football and moving the chains.”

Whittingham is hoping for the battle to sort itself out on the field in the coming practices.

“There’s trust in all three of those guys. It is just about how they are going to separate themselves,” he said. “That will come with the next six practices or so, and hopefully then we’ll have a little bit of a pecking order.”