Kansas State Football: 2024 K-State Quarterback Preview

Kansas State Football: A New Era with Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson will be the starting quarterback for Kansas State in 2024, and we could probably just end this preview right here, right? But that would be the easy way out. Johnson’s talent has been apparent since the first time he set foot on the field; the first five plays of his career that weren’t handoffs to running backs were runs for 5 and 15 yards, completed passes for 16 and 24 yards, and then a seven-yard touchdown run. He led K-State to a 38-21 win over Texas Tech, running for five touchdowns.

He won the Pop-Tarts Bowl after Will Howard opted out to enter the transfer portal. And why did Howard transfer? Because he was likely not to be the starter in 2024. There are still questions about Johnson, but all reports indicate his arm and reads aren’t the issue,even though he was 14-31 for 178 yards in the bowl game.

Backup Quarterbacks and Depth Analysis

Johnson’s immediate backup is either Minnesota transfer Jacob Knuth or Connecticut transfer Ta’Quan Roberson. Knuth was the best player in South Dakota as a senior in high school, while Roberson was UConn's starter in both 2022 and 2023. Behind them is freshman Blake Barnett, the best prep player in Colorado in 2023. The wise play here is to let Barnett develop while Johnson takes the reins this year.

Looking Ahead to 2024

This year is going to be a wild ride if Johnson can stay healthy. Success will rely on how well he connects with the receivers and grasped the passing game. The Cats need to avoid a situation where the only question offensively is who’s carrying the ball.