QUARTERBACKS OUTLOOK:
Mikey Keene, a 2023 All-Mountain West honorable mention selection, is entering his second season in the Bulldogs' offense and working with coordinator Pat McCann. This year, he brings a new sense of leadership and a stronger command of the offensive scheme.
"He's not just more comfortable in the system, he's more confident as a leader," interim head coach Tim Skipper said. "He has really found his voice. We saw it start during spring ball and it has continued throughout fall camp. We're excited for the season ahead of him."
Keene turned heads in his first season with the Bulldogs, leading the second-best passing offense in the Mountain West Conference at 282.2 yards per game.
The junior completed 67.1% of his passes (283-of-422), tying for sixth all-time in program history and leading the conference by a wide margin.
Behind Keene, Jayden Mandal and Joshua Wood competed in fall camp for the No. 2 spot. Neither has taken a snap in college, but both have impressed. The competition between the two has been one of the most intense through camp.
Who's back: Keene enters the 2024 as the premier quarterback in the league and collected an extensive list of preseason honors. The Bulldogs' quarterback was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team, was a first-team all-conference selection by Athlon Sports and College Football Network and a second-team pick by Phil Steele. He also was a HERO Sports preseason Group of Five All-American as a third-team selection, and on watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award.
Keene started 11 of the 12 games he played a year ago, missing one due to injury and making a late fourth-quarter appearance against New Mexico. He ranked third in the Mountain West with 248.0 passing yards per game, and his 24 passing touchdowns were the second most in the league.
Wood missed last season due to injury. Mandal and walk-on Jack Jacobs both utilized their redshirt seasons in 2023.
Wood, a highly-regarded recruit out of Graham-Kapowsin High in Graham, Wash., has faced injuries during his two seasons at Fresno State. Despite these setbacks, he has shown flashes of his electrifying athleticism in both spring and fall practices.
Mandal has shown that he is comfortable taking command of the offense and has showcased his accuracy throughout fall camp scrimmages.
"They both have their strengths," McCann said. "I wouldn't necessarily say it's a winner of the backup job because they both bring different things to the table. In the event that they need to play, I could realistically see both playing as a two-quarterback system."
Who's new: The unit adds one transfer and one freshman.
Joseph Campbell isn't exactly new to the program. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Fresno State, before transferring to Bakersfield College. In 2023, he appeared in three games for the Renegades, completing 7-of-9 pass attempts for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
Dashiell Weaver graduated from Campolindo High in Moraga. During his senior season, he was the Offensive MVP in the division and an All-Bay Area football second-team selection. He racked up 5,748 passing yards in two varsity seasons with 53 touchdowns. Weaver joined the program as an early enrollee, competing with the team this spring.
What to watch: Keene, who transferred to Fresno State from UCF, is well acquainted with facing tough opponents. He led the Bulldogs to two significant road victories against Power 4 teams last season with a 39-35 win at Purdue and a 29-0 shutout at Arizona State, and played some of his best football of the season in those victories. He'll be playing on some of college football's biggest stages this year, opening the regular season at Michigan in the Big House and finishing it at UCLA in the Rose Bowl.
In a second season as the Bulldogs' starter, he has the opportunity to solidify his legacy among some great Fresno State quarterbacks. Running down the list from David and Derek Carr to Trent Dilfer, Jake Haener, Marcus McMaryion or Kevin Sweeney, they all improved and were more efficient and more productive in their second seasons as a starter.
Keene's command of the offense has allowed McCann and quarterbacks coach Matt Wade to focus on the tough task of preparing Mandal and Wood to play if their number is called.
"The great thing about having Mikey is that he has total ownership and knowledge of this offense is so high that it allows us to put those other quarterbacks in more high pressure situations during practice," McCann said. "He's played a ton of football and his experience has allowed us to get the rest of the room ready."