Ryan Gilbert
GoPowercat.com
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson entered the 2024 season with just one start under his belt.
As a true sophomore, the former four-star recruit navigated a season full of ups and downs. With 10 interceptions, Johnson undeniably had his forgettable moments. On the flip side, Johnson added numerous plays to his highlight reel, throwing for 25 touchdowns and also scoring seven times on the ground.
After a full year of starting experience, Johnson is ready to take the next step and is setting the bar high in 2025.
"Winning the Big 12 Championship, I wanna go undefeated and win a national championship," Johnson said at Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday when asked what his goals are for 2025. "Those are the goals we talk about inside Vanier, inside our walls, all the time. Those are the goals we are going to shoot for."
In 2024, it was fair to cut Johnson some slack for his mistakes, as it was essentially his first year on the job in Manhattan. To fully grow and get better, a quarterback has to learn, digest and absorb the adversity. Aside from his on-field performance, though, Johnson has fine-tuned his leadership skills and is prepared to guide his team.
"It's really no different than last year as far as being the signal caller and a guy that people can turn to and see as a leader, but I'm kind of just spending this offseason growing more into my leadership role," Johnson said. "Being more vocal. Being that guy that people can come to in adverse times. Really just growing as a player and as a person so that when hard times do strike on that field, guys know that they can count on me to settle down and get things rolling."
No. 2 has all the charisma needed to be the face of a collegiate football program. Johnson isn't a rah-rah guy, but he sets the standard on and off the field for the Wildcats.
Johnson isn't out of the woods yet on the gridiron. As a passer, he needs to make smart decisions and play with decisiveness. Do things look promising? Absolutely, but he has to prove it.