Fresno State has named veteran transfer E.J. Warner the team’s starting quarterback, sources told ESPN.

Warner, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, emerged from a three-man battle and will be Fresno State’s Week 0 starter at Kansas on Aug. 23.

Warner started 31 games at both Temple and Rice over the past three seasons, according to ESPN Research. He brings extensive experience, as he has thrown for 8,814 yards, 58 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.

He emerged from a quarterback battle with Sacramento State transfer Carson Conklin and sophomore Jayden Mandal. Warner’s experience, consistency and leadership helped him capture the starting job. Sources also indicated a strong conviction in the quarterback room has emerged at Fresno, with a belief the team can win games this season with all three quarterbacks.

Warner spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Temple before transferring to Rice for the 2024 season. Over those three seasons, he’s 796-of-1,327 passing at a 60% clip. He led the AAC in passing yards per game in 2023, averaging 307.6. He set the Temple record with 23 passing touchdowns that season.

Included in his Temple résumé are three 400-yard passing games and a pair of games with five touchdown passes.

At Rice last season, he threw for 17 touchdowns and his 64.3% completion percentage ranks second in school history. He also led a game-winning drive in the final two minutes to beat UTSA, completing the winning touchdown pass with four seconds left.

Warner will debut for Fresno in the first game for new Bulldogs coach Matt Entz, a former USC assistant who won two national titles as the head coach at North Dakota State.