K-State Q&A: Redshirts, players to watch and the plan for freshman QB Avery Johnson

It’s time for another K-State Q&A.

With football season finally upon us, there is no need for a long introduction this week. Let’s dive right into your questions about the Wildcats. Thanks, as always, for providing them.

E-MAIL QUESTION: How should Kansas State handle Avery Johnson this season? Do you think he would be better off sitting out with a redshirt or playing every time Will Howard isn’t in the game? - Andrew B.

I was asked a similar question while talking on the Boscoe’s Boys Podcast last week, and I will stick with my answer here.

If K-State coaches think Johnson is good enough to help the Wildcats as a freshman then they should absolutely play him.

Why not?

Seriously, what advantage would K-State gain from sitting Johnson most of the season (he is allowed to play up to four games and retain his redshirt) if he is needed to throw passes as a backup quarterback or to take off running like Daniel Sams once did as a change-of-pace quarterback alongside Will Howard?

Yes, you would open the door for him to stay in Manhattan for five seasons instead of four. But Johnson doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to stay in college that long. Not everyone tells the NFL Draft to wait like Cooper Beebe.

Nowadays, players who redshirt often end up using their extra year of eligibility somewhere else after they transfer. Or they end up needing the redshirt year later due to injury.

K-State would be better off using Johnson now and worrying about his future later.

Just look at Howard. The Wildcats spent the past two years trying to protect his redshirt and it didn’t work out. So what? He still has this year and next to wear purple. Let’s say he had another year of college football to burn on top of that. How many of you think he would still want to stick around and be the team’s starting quarterback in 2025?

Who thinks Johnson would hang around to start in 2026?

I say play everyone who is ready.

The only time you should redshirt a player is if he is a developmental guy who absolutely needs a year to beef up and gain experience behind the scenes. You want to redshirt players who can’t help you now, but might help you later. That doesn’t seem like Johnson.

If he is truly running neck and neck with Jake Rubley as QB2, the Wildcats shouldn’t hesitate to play him if the opportunity calls for it. It sounds like offensive coordinator Collin Klein will look to do exactly that against SEMO.

I don’t have any names for you on offense. Unless you’ve never heard of R.J. Garcia, Ben Sinnott or D.J. Giddens I don’t see anyone going from complete obscurity to household name.

Xavier Loyd and Seth Porter could make nice contributions as wide receivers, but I’m not expecting anything too crazy from them.

Fortunately, I have three names for you on defense.

Jacob Parrish should thrive at cornerback now that he’s a starter. Desmond Purnell could steal some thunder away from Austin Moore and Daniel Green at linebacker. Asa Newsom could make way more tackles than a typical freshman as a reserve linebacker.

Newsom is probably the best sleeper pick on the board. He is going to get lots of playing time right out of high school.

1. Winning streak over Texas Tech: I think the Red Raiders finally get a win in this series.

Patrick Mahomes couldn’t beat K-State. He walked so Tyler Shough could run!

Texas Tech should be really good this season. The Red Raiders won their final four games last year and return a lot of talent. They also get the Wildcats on the tail end of back-to-back road games. It’s a tough matchup and a bad spot for K-State.

2. Losing streak at Missouri: This streak doesn’t mean very much to me, considering the Wildcats have only played in Columbia three times since 2004. But I do think K-State beats Mizzou this year.

The football gods can’t let the Tigers win after they put out that cringe-worthy video on how to cheer at home games earlier this week.

3. Texas owning K-State: For whatever reason, the Longhorns always seem to have too much size and talent for the Wildcats. It’s hard for me to see K-State ending a six-game losing skid to Texas on the road this year.

4. Domination over Kansas: The Jayhawks will beat the Wildcats one of these days. It has to happen at least once before the sun implodes and life on this planet ceases to exist, right? But I don’t see myself predicting it before it happens.

This game could actually be pretty good. Kansas is much improved from previous years and the Jayhawks didn’t back down against their rivals last season in Manhattan, even though they lost 47-27. Still, beating KU in football is simply what K-State does. I won’t believe a KU win will happen until it happens.

Here’s a not-so-fun fact about K-State football: The home opener at Bill Snyder Family Stadium must always be played on one of the hottest days of the year.

Thank goodness the game is usually played against a pushover and the Wildcats can make sure they have an evening kickoff on ESPN+. Otherwise the temperature could really be miserable.

Some fans are still probably sweating from that K-State/UCLA opener in 2010 that had an afternoon kick.

By the way, it also seems like the third or fourth home game of every season is delayed by a thunderstorm.

If you ask me, Gene Taylor should start raising funds to turn the football stadium into a dome.

Fortunately, training for the Kansas is heat is easy. The team simply practices outside.

Because the K-State football team now sets off metaphorical fireworks by playing so well during games, duh.

To be honest, I have no idea.

The only thing I can say on this topic is that one year Bill Snyder got interrupted by fireworks quite a few times during his postgame news conference and seemed annoyed by them. Is it possible he asked K-State to stop?

Conspiracy theory!

I wouldn’t complain if they came back. Who doesn’t like fireworks?

E-MAIL QUESTION: Where is Sterling Lockett? I don’t see him on the depth chart - Dan M.

Have no fear, the latest Lockett family member to suit up at wide receiver for the Wildcats is alive and well on the K-State football roster.

He’s just not quite ready for serious playing time.

Sterling Lockett is still trying to work his way onto the depth chart. Coaches said he looked good during training camp and expect big things from him as he matures, but he needs a little more time to develop. He seems like the kind of receiver who can help the Cats in a few years as opposed to right now. But it’s possible we will see him at the end of some blowouts this year.