Starting quarterback E.J. Warner, 13, throws football in practice alongside quarterback Carson Conklin, 17, on August 11.

E.J. Warner named Fresno State starting quarterback

By Finnley Pendergast, Sports Editor • Aug 11, 2025

Senior E.J. Warner, son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, has been selected as Fresno State Football’s starting quarterback.

Head Coach Matt Entz made the announcement on Monday, marking the end of the fall camp quarterback battle between Warner, sophomore transfer Carson Conklin and sophomore Jayden Mandel.

“E.J.’s done a great job,” Entz said. “With the communication piece, with the leadership piece, poise.”

Warner was a part of the group of 21 mid-year players to join the 2025 roster back in January.

“His experience probably impacted some of the decision-making,” Entz said.

Warner spent two seasons at Temple University before transferring to Rice University in 2024.

While at Rice, Warner threw for 2,710 yards and 17 passing touchdowns while completing 62% of his passes.

For offensive coordinator Josh Davis, Warner’s ability to execute under pressure in both pre- and post-snap allowed him to get the edge over the other two quarterbacks.

“And then upon the snap execution and how we’re distributing the ball, handling the blitzes we see, he’s very prompt and knows where he wants to go with the ball,” Davis said.

Davis also praised Warner for his ability to pick up the playbook faster than any quarterback Davis has coached.

While Warner has won the starting job for the season opener against the University of Kansas, Entz wants the other two quarterbacks to continue to battle.

“I don’t want E.J. to get comfortable,” Entz said. “We’re going to be making sure that he’s executing and operating at a satisfactory level as we move forward.”

Entz also added that the other two quarterbacks are not totally out of the conversation.

The Fresno State quarterback room doing drills during practice on August 11. (Isaac Marquez/The Collegian)

“It wouldn’t be my first time, you know, maybe toying with having an opportunity to either have two quarterbacks on the field or maybe having a series or a package for somebody else,” Entz said.

The Red Wave will have to wait a little longer to see its new quarterback under center when the Bulldogs travel to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for their season opener against the University of Kansas on Aug. 23.

About the Contributor

Finnley Pendergast, Sports Editor

Finnley Pendergast is the Sports Editor for The Collegian and senior at Fresno State. He started working for The Collegian in the fall of 2024 as a Reporter before moving to Sports Editor in the spring of 2025. Finnley is majoring in Mass Communication and Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast and Multiplatform Journalism. He plans to pursue a career on broadcasts, whether in front of or behind the camera.

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