Chris Klieman raves about Kansas State QB Avery Johnson at Big 12 Media Days

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson played a great game against NC State in the Pop Tart Bowl and from then on it was clear that he would lead the Wildcats in 2024.

Head coach Chris Klieman took the first opportunity to talk about the true sophomore at the Big 12 Media Days.

Chris Klieman: Avery Johnson’s maturity has prepared him to take the lead in 2024

Given the hype surrounding Johnson and his performance in last year’s bowl game, it’s not surprising that the first question Klieman was asked in his televised interview was about the true sophomore. Nor should it be surprising that Klieman took the opportunity to hype up Johnson.

“He’s one of the best competitors I know,” Klieman said. “He’s always going to be the fastest kid on the field. I mean, he’s got incredible speed. But he throws a lot better than people probably gave him credit for, and we’ll see that this year.”

“He’s a confident kid. He’s not an arrogant kid, he’s just a confident kid, and he makes everyone around him better. I’ve seen him this spring bringing together some of the wideouts, running backs and tight ends and kind of leading some of those captaincy duties…I’m excited because his trajectory is just going upward.”

Klieman said he was impressed with Johnson’s maturity and explained how he has grown in recent months.

“I think that month (before the Pop Tart Bowl) was really big for him,” Klieman said. “Will (Howard) had already left, and so he was able to really lead the team and be the number one guy. He was able to have some success in the bowl game, overcome some adversity and then finish it off successfully. I think all of those things, the adversity he faced in the bowl game, prepared him for now. And he’s still just going to be a true sophomore. He’s still very young.”

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It’s obvious that Klieman is excited about Johnson’s potential at the quarterback position. As a true dual-threat QB, Johnson has the talent to compete for an All-Conference team.

Johnson will lead the Wildcats this year, starting August 31 at 7 p.m. EST in the season opener against UT Martin.

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