Fresno State went 6-6 in the regular season last fall, earning a trip to a bowl game for the fourth straight year despite fielding an offense that was inconsistent at best.
The Bulldogs ranked No. 9 in the 12-team Mountain West in total yardage (340.6 yards per game) and No. 10 in rushing yardage. Their saving grace was a passing game that averaged 242.5 yards a game thanks to quarterback Mikey Keene, who posted 2,892 passing yards and 18 touchdowns.
Keene won’t take the field for the Bulldogs this year, though. He transferred to Michigan, where he’s expected to back up five-star recruit Bryce Underwood.
The favorite to replace Keene is well-traveled signal caller EJ Warner – the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2000.
Warner’s mission is clear: add to the Bulldogs’ bowl streak while returning the program to the nine- and 10-win seasons it enjoyed under Keene and former Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener, who is entering his second season with the New Orleans Saints.
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EJ Warner’s Long Career Road
Warner’s college career has included several stops since he came out of Brophy College Preparatory School as a three-star recruit in 2022. He signed with Temple and spent two seasons with the Owls before transferring to Rice last season.
He’s had little trouble stuffing the stat sheets at his previous two stops. Warner was named American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year after posting 3,028 passing yards and 18 touchdowns as a freshman at Temple. In 2023, he set the program’s single-season record for touchdown passes (23) and pass attempts (445) while finishing with 3,076 passing yards.
Last season, he racked up 2,710 passing yards, which ranks No. 5 all-time at Rice. He threw for 17 touchdowns and posted two 300-yard passing games, including 430 yards against South Florida.
The stats haven’t all been pretty, though. Turnovers have been an issue. Warner threw 12 interceptions in each of his two seasons at Temple and 13 last fall at Rice.
Warner’s gaudy stats also haven’t resulted in many wins. Temple went 3-9 in both of his seasons in Philadelphia, and Rice went 4-8 last season. Neither of those programs are exactly perennial contenders in the AAC, though.
Wide Receivers Wanted At Fresno State
Warner’s main competition for the starting job is redshirt sophomore Jayden Mandal, who appeared in six games last season and started the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl after Keene entered the transfer portal. Mandal went 3-for-6 passing with an interception in the Bulldogs’ double overtime loss to Northern Illinois.
Joshua Wood shared snaps with Mandal in the bowl game and finished 16 of 23 for 180 yards and a touchdown. He was expected to compete for the starting job this year but decided to transfer last month.
Warner may have the starting job all but in the bag, but he faces a much more daunting challenge: creating chemistry with a rebuilt group of wide receivers.
Fresno State’s top three receivers from last season are gone. Mac Delana signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. Jalen Moss transferred to Arizona State, and Raylen Sharpe transferred to Arkansas.
The Bulldogs’ only experienced receiver coming back is senior Josiah Freeman, who appeared in just four games last season, so they turned to the transfer portal to rebuild the position group. They added Jahlil McClain, who appeared in four games for Louisville last season but didn’t record a stat. They also added a pair of junior college receivers in Jayon Farrar and Josiah Ayon.
