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Kansas State football is buzzing with optimism ahead of the 2025 season — and much of that energy starts with Kansas State junior quarterback Avery Johnson. After a promising sophomore year and a bowl win to cap off the season, Johnson has become the centerpiece of a Wildcats squad looking to climb the Big 12 football ranks under head coach Chris Klieman.
Johnson’s decision to return rather than explore the NFL Draft or transfer portal brought a wave of stability to the Wildcats system. The former four-star recruit wrapped up 2024 with 3,191 career passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions in two seasons. He also rushed for 901 yards and 14 scores, making him one of the top dual-threat QBs in the conference. In the Wildcats' 44-41 comeback victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, he threw three touchdowns and led the team back from a 17-point deficit, solidifying his leadership role heading into 2025.
What’s drawing headlines now, though, is Johnson’s impressive physical and mental transformation this offseason. As reported by On3’s Daniel Hager, the sixth-year head coach had high praise for his quarterback during the Big 12 Media Days.
“I think the biggest thing is how he looks,” Klieman said.
“He’s put on probably 17 pounds of lean muscle mass and he’s filled out. He’s not a sophomore anymore; he’s an upperclassman as a junior. So his body’s matured and he’s taken everything very seriously in the weight room, in the nutrition and in the recovery aspect so his body is just a lot better.”
“He’s carrying a lot more weight and he’s faster. And that’s something that we strive and we stress is you can get bigger and stronger and also be faster. He’s done that.”
This transformation could be the difference-maker in 2025. With the Big 12 football landscape offering no easy wins, durability and physical strength at the quarterback position will be crucial. Johnson also attended the Manning Passing Academy this summer, where he refined his mechanics and competed alongside some of the nation’s top quarterback talent.
Klieman and the rest of the Wildcats coaching staff are counting on Johnson’s growth to fuel a serious playoff push. K-State wrapped up last season with a 9-4 record, including 5-4 in Big 12 play, and are projected to enter 2025 ranked inside the Top 25. With the expanded College Football Playoff format now in effect, the stakes have never been higher.
