NEW ORLEANS – Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene has added another preseason recognition to his 2024 resume as the junior signal caller was one of 29 collegiate quarterbacks named to the preseason watch list for the Manning Award, presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' bowl performances in its balloting.
Finalists will be selected prior to the postseason and the winner will be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship. Inclusion on the watch list is not necessary for the quarterbacks to be selected for the honor. Transfers and other newcomers at schools were not eligible for the preseason Watch List, but additional quarterbacks will be added to the Watch List during the season.
Keene is one of three Mountain West quarterbacks on the list, joined by Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi of Colorado State and Brayden Schager of Hawai'i.
From Fresno State, Derek Carr was a finalist for the Manning Award in 2013. Marcus McMaryion was honored by the organization in 2018, and Jake Haener earned recognitions in 2021 and 2022. Keene himself was a mid-year addition to the Manning Award watch list in 2023, after being named a Star of the Week following his season-opening performance at Purdue.
In 2023, Keene threw for nearly 3,000 yards in his first season as a Bulldog and saw bumps in the road as he dealt with injuries throughout the season. Keene was healthy for 11 starts on the year. He played in 12 games total, coming in late in the game against New Mexico. He missed one game with injury. Keene threw for 2,967 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 283-of-422 pass attempts on the year, leading Fresno State to the second-best passing offense in the Mountain West.
Keene showed his accuracy in 2023, throwing for a 67.06 completion percentage in year one of the Bulldog offense. His accuracy didn't just start last season, though. In his collegiate career, Keene has completed 516-of-777 pass attempts and ranks fifth among all active FBS quarterbacks entering 2024 with a 66.41 career completion percentage.
Keene's preseason recognitions ahead of 2024 include being named the preseason All-Mountain West quarterback by the league's media. He was the only Mountain West quarterback added to the preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award. He also earned recognition by Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and College Football Network.