'No brainer' to come to Fresno State for UCF transfer QB Mikey Keene

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A day after being named the Mountain West's offensive player of the week, Mikey Keene honored by the Davey O'Brien Foundation and is one of eight quarterbacks to be named Star of the Week by the Manning Award.

The redshirt sophomore quarterback also spoke to the media for the first time in a Bulldog uniform, sharing what it was that led to him transferring from the University of Central Florida.

"Getting recruited by coach Tedford, kind of a no-brainer," Keene said Tuesday.

Keene, who threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns in his Bulldog debut at Purdue, also liked Fresno State's style of offense on display against Washington State.

"Watching the film of Jake (Haener), seeing a similar playing style and the quarterbacks who have come before me that I can excel at, so the overall system and the feel of the coaching staff ultimately sealed the deal," Keene said.

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Other transfers were also speaking for the first time, per Tedford's rule that players appear in at least one snap before speaking to the media.

"I really resonated with the culture here," said transfer safety from Kent State Dean Clark. "It's just hard work, grit and blue collar. Where I'm from, Massillon, Ohio, that's how it is too, so I felt the similarities and felt like it would be a great fit for me."

Jaelen Gill, a transfer from Boston College and Ohio State, said he worked out with past Bulldog receivers KeeSean Johnson and Jalen Cropper.

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FS is receiving votes to be ranked in both the coaches poll (30) and the AP Top 25 (3), but has yet to crack into the official rankings.

Saturday's home opener vs. Eastern Washington (0-1) kicks off at 6:00 PM from Valley Children's Stadium.

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