How Avery Johnson proved he was ready to lead Kansas State’s offense as a freshman

An exclusive club exists within the Kansas State football team.

It doesn’t boast many members, because it is hard to get into. There is actually only one way to gain entry: by proving that you can run faster than 22 mph during the course of a practice or workout that is being monitored by advanced technology.

Some have trained for years to join the club. Membership is coveted.

“Not to brag, but there were only a few guys that could run that fast in the offseason,” K-State wide receiver Keagan Johnson said, “and I was in that bunch. That’s something I was very proud of.”

With that in mind, it came as a huge surprise to just about everyone associated with the Wildcats when a freshman metaphorically marched straight past some velvet ropes and let himself into the VIP section of the roster before he played in his first college game.

It was at that moment last spring when Avery Johnson, fresh out of Maize High, registered a speed of 22.3 miles per hour that many K-State football players realized they were looking at the team’s QB of the future.

“You don’t usually see a quarterback run like that, especially when he is just a freshman,” Keagan Johnson said. “I mean, he ran a faster time than me. I remember looking at him back then and just thinking, ‘Man, this guy has got it.’”

Speeding up the depth chart

It didn’t take long for Avery Johnson to go from wide-eyed freshman to the 22 MPH Club.

He moved up the K-State depth chart with the same kind of speed he showed on the field. After spending most of his first season in Manhattan as a complementary quarterback behind Will Howard he is now ready to make his first college start against North Carolina State at the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday in Orlando.

Should he play as well as fans are expecting him to, this game will serve as a preview of what is on the horizon. K-State has given Avery Johnson the keys to its offense, and he will have an opportunity to stay in control for the next several years.

Many college teams would bemoan the loss of a quarterback like Howard, given that he led K-State to a Big 12 championship as a junior and then threw for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior. But, good as he was, it’s obvious that a higher ceiling exists with Johnson.

“It’s exciting, because the dude is such a playmaker,” K-State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe said. “I think one of the things that makes him special is the confidence he plays with. It’s something you don’t see in freshmen very often.

“I think that confidence is something that is really key to having success at the college level. When you see how much confidence he has and you see his ability to make plays, you know he is going to be special. I can’t wait to see what he can do.”

Avery Johnson plays with confidence because good things always seem to happen when he’s on the field.

“Even in the first player practices that we had with him he was able to beat our most experienced guys,” K-State linebacker Austin Moore said. “It was crazy to see how fast he could run and still throw ball on the move. He has only gotten better.”

The former four-star recruit was so impressive during preseason camp that he forced his way into games as a freshman and even stole the show during a 38-21 victory at Texas Tech in which he rushed for 90 yards and a school record five touchdowns.

He finished the regular season with 301 yards and three touchdowns as a passer to go along with 225 yards and six touchdowns as a rusher. Avery Johnson was only a change-of-pace quarterback this year, but opposing teams still had to account for his whereabouts in every game.

NC State will be on alert from the very beginning.

“The stage is not going to be too big,” K-State football coach Chris Klieman said. “We all know that. This kid is confident and he is going to be ready to sling it around.”

Quarterback of the present and future

Don’t be surprised you start to see long hair gain popularity in Manhattan.

Avery Johnson’s long blonde hair, which is easily visible even when he’s wearing a helmet, is already an unmistakable hairdo for K-State fans.

“I have had long hair ever since I was little,” Avery Johnson said. “It used to be really bleached blonde when I was super young. I had it short for kindergarten and ever since then I have just been growing it out.

“People started noticing me because of it and called me sunshine and gave me nicknames like that. A lot of people now recognize me for having long hair and it stuck with me. I have embraced it and used it for different things, whether it’s a slogan or marketing. I love it. I love the look. I have always had it so I’ve never really even thought about what it’d be like without it.”

That look could become an even bigger hit over the next few years.

Once it became apparent that Avery Johnson was destined to take over as the team’s starting quarterback the Wildcats lost three other players at that position to the transfer portal. This is his offense now.

It’s exciting to think about what he can with it, because the 6-foot-2 and 188-pound playmaker already has all the tools necessary to be an elite quarterback in the Big 12. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to master the K-State offense and to make big-time throws that rival his runs.

For that reason, Klieman is excited to see how Avery Johnson handles much more than just the four quarters of action against NC State.

“This is the preparation where you’re the guy,” Klieman said. “We get to go through all the things that you like. What things in the pass game do you like? What things in the run game do you like? We are going to let him have some say and let him see the game. This kid is a sponge and he loves watching football. The kid is a junkie, and that is what is going to make him really special here.”

As Avery Johnson matures, his game should only improve. It’s impossible to downplay his potential.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl could serve as a launching point for him.

He is ready to show the world what K-State football players have seen ever since he crashed the 22 MPH Club.