Avery Johnson approaching senior year with firmer grasp of Big 12

FRISCO, Texas — After starting every game over the past two seasons for Kansas State, the veteran quarterback has a lot of knowledge on how defenses operate across the Big 12.

Despite playing against every defense in the conference during that span, Avery Johnson is still trying to figure out how to consistently win in a league full of parity. 2025 was a humbling year for the signal-caller, in which the Wildcats started out the season ranked in the top-20, but lost four games in Big 12 play and Coach Chris Klieman retired.

Johnson’s future with the program was uncertain, and then he received the best news ever when Collin Klein replaced Klieman as head coach. After all, he was a homerun hire in Johnson’s mind for several reasons, which included their history together, plus Klein’s success as an Offensive Coordinator at Kansas State, and Texas A&M.

“As soon as they hired him (Klein), I just wanted to get on the phone with him to see where his head was at, what he had in store and what his goals were for the upcoming season,” Johnson said. “Once I saw that our goals matched, I saw it as a no-brainer and this was a place that I wanted to be.”

Now Johnson believes he has the coach that will help him dissect Big 12 defenses, considering Klein is a former quarterback who has significant coaching experience in the conference. Although Johnson knows the Big 12 style of play like the back of his hand, he feels Klein is going to help him read defenses from a different perspective. Every detail will be vital with the Big 12 getting stronger every year.

“The margin of error for victories and losses is so small, and I think for me if you don’t stay locked in, and let your foot off the gas for just a second in this league, you can lose a lot of football games,” he said. “We lost five games last year by 14 points combined.”

Closing out games will be an area of emphasis as the Wildcats navigate through fall camp, and Klein will be making each practice intense. Putting the players in uncomfortable situations will sharpen them mentally, but Johnson understands that the game still comes down to execution.

Which is why Klein is teaching Johnson how to read defenses before the snap, recognizing different blitz packages, and utilizing his athletic ability as a dual-threat. Everything is a work in progress, but Johnson is soaking up the playbook like a sponge, which Klein feels is a testament to how smart of a gunslinger he is.

“Some of his best attributes aren’t physical, and I know everyone sees how fast he (Johnson) is, how well he runs, arm talent and the spin on the football,” Klein said. “He’s one of the best competitors that I’ve been around, and he works hard at his craft.”

Johnson will have some weapons around him this fall too. Running back Joe Jackson rushed for 435 yards and six touchdowns over the final two games, and tight end Garrett Oakley has caught 13 touchdowns in his career.

With 48 touchdown passes as a Wildcat, the potential is there for Klein to make an immediate impact with Johnson, and the anticipation from the fans is through the roof. However, the last thing Johnson wants is for the offense to underachieve again, and he intends on doing whatever it takes for the unit to succeed. In Johnson’s eyes that means going full throttle for four quarters, and never letting up, regardless of the score.

“I think it’s really important to start fast in this league too, because if you wait, come out sluggish, get punched in the mouth and play catch up, it’s just a lot harder to win.”