FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno State’s offseason-long quarterback race ended Tuesday just as many believed it would, with coach Pat Hill naming junior Ryan Colburn the starter.

Colburn, who has been in the Bulldogs program since 2005, beat out true freshman Derek Carr and redshirt freshman Ebahn Feathers in a competition considered close but one Colburn always led.
“He’s been here four years, so he had a great lead in knowledge and everything else,” Hill said. “Derek has done a great job. But Ryan Colburn won the job on his performance. It was very, very close. But he won the job.
“I just felt that his pocket presence, his accuracy, his change in his ability to throw the longball, just his consistency was the deciding factor.”
Senior receivers Seyi Ajirotutu and Marlon Moore said they could tell Colburn was in command.
Colburn, too, tried to carry himself in a confident manner.
“You have to believe you’re the guy,” Colburn said. “You have to come out every day approaching it as that. I’m very excited to now get that chance.”
Hill’s decision to start Colburn in the opener against UC Davis on Saturday does not mean Carr will be stuck on the bench.
Throughout the offseason, Hill has expressed a willingness to play all three quarterbacks. Feathers could be used in a change-of-pace and special-packages role. Carr, the younger brother of Bulldogs great David Carr, could possibly enter to see how the legacy performs in certain situations.
During his weekly news conference Monday, Hill spoke again of the possibility of playing multiple quarterbacks.
“There are times when a starting pitcher is pulled for a relief pitcher,” Hill said. “We’re in a position now, we can bring someone off the bench and hopefully win the game for us.”
But on Tuesday, Hill would not commit to a role for Carr.
“I can’t answer that,” Hill said. “Right now, Ryan Colburn is the starter. Ebahn Feathers will have a package. I can’t really tell what the game will be like.”
Though Carr was a spring semester enrollee, he never caught up to Colburn’s familiarity with the system nor looked quite as sharp as Colburn in practices that were open to the media.
Hill did say Carr was “light years ahead” of any true freshman quarterback he’s had in his 13 years. But Colburn’s improvement “by leaps and bounds” from a year ago, as Hill described, proved decisive.
Carr was unavailable for comment after Tuesday’s practice, citing a classroom commitment.
“Derek understands that he is really going to be a fine player, but there are little things he’s got to keep working on and I know he’ll do that,” Hill said. “He has to prepare every week like he’s the starter.”
Colburn was informed of the decision Monday night in a meeting with the coaching staff and all the quarterbacks.
Colburn said he was thrilled by the decision—he hasn’t started a game since 2004 when he was the quarterback for Central Valley Christian High—but understood he still has much to prove.
In his four seasons with the Bulldogs, Colburn has played in just four games—all in mop-up duty—and completed 4 of 5 passes for 58 yards. He did not play a game last year.
“This doesn’t guarantee anything more than an opportunity on Saturday,” Colburn said. “I’m just going to try to execute our game plan. ... I’m not going to try to do anything more than just my job. I’m just very excited.”