Avery Johnson slinging ball around with more accuracy for Wildcats

FRISCO, Texas — The Kansas State quarterback is approaching his junior season with confidence, and has several reasons why fans will see improvement with the way he throws the ball.

Last year Avery Johnson set a school record for touchdown passes, but struggled at times with the deep ball, and often left the pocket too early. There were also moments when he relied too much on his legs to move the chains, and Johnson’s slender body paid the price in the trenches for it.

Which is why he’s taking a different approach to his preparation, workouts, dieting and film study under the direction of Matt Wells, who’ll be calling the plays full-time this fall. Johnson and Wells think alike when it comes to operating the offense, but the Offensive Coordinator wants to do it with more efficiency, while keeping the signal-caller healthy.

“The best thing about Coach Wells is the way that he coaches, he’s hard on me, he pushes me, and he challenges me to elevate my game,” Johnson said. “I think we need that from our coaches, because it keeps us from being complacent.”

Johnson understands that Kansas State loves to run the ball, and he’ll be instrumental on the ground. After all, the Wildcats have been one of the Big 12’s top rushing teams for the past three seasons. Conference play is going to get physical down the stretch, so Wells is being proactive with how he’s handling Johnson’s durability.

The former four-star prospect even added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame this offseason, and should be able to absorb the big hits. Despite the additional weight, Johnson is feeling more comfortable with his new size, and plans on playing above 200 pounds this year.

“This is the fastest I’ve ever been, this is the strongest I’ve ever been and this is the heaviest I’ve ever been, so I only think it’s going to help me in the running game,” he said. “Just continuing to put on the right weight, and as long as I’m still feeling twitchy, I’ll put on as much weight as I need to.”

Johnson ranked 62nd nationally in passing efficiency, and 91st in completion percentage last season. His accuracy was a liability for the offense in road losses at BYU, and Houston. However, Wells is putting Johnson through multiple passing drills in practice, and he’s responding well by minimizing the happy feet in the pocket.

“The biggest thing that helps with my accuracy is that he (Wells) always preaches pocket movement, keeping a base in the pocket, two hands on the ball, always being ready to pass and not drifting after the throw,” the 20-year old said. “If I can keep good feet, aligned to where I’m throwing the ball, than my accuracy is 100 times better than when I get toesy.”

As athletic as Johnson is, there’s only so much he can do, and will need solid blocking from the big boys up front. The Wildcats have several new faces along the offensive line, and Johnson just wants the group to gel together as fall camp approaches. In his mind, everything comes down to chemistry, communication and most importantly, trust. It helps that Johnson will be working with some of the league’s best tight ends.

Expectations will be high again for Kansas State’s offense this season, and Johnson knows a lot of the responsibility will fall on his shoulders. Living up to the lofty expectations will be challenging for Johnson, but Coach Chris Klieman feels he has the experience, production and leadership to take the Wildcats to the next level.

“I think he’s ready to take on even more things at the line of scrimmage and everybody knows he’s a terrific athlete in space, but he’s also a really good thrower of the football,” Klieman said. “I just think all the 13 games of experience he had last year will help him.”

A lot can still happen from now until week zero’s clash against Iowa State in Ireland. However, Johnson wants to be ready for the moment, and can’t wait to display his new arm to the College football world.