Kansas State’s quarterback situation has gone from steady to unsettled in a hurry, and now the Wildcats may be staring at the possibility that Avery Johnson’s college run is effectively finished.
First-year coach Collin Klein said Monday that Johnson will not play Saturday against Oklahoma State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and he made it clear the odds of getting him back this season are slim. Johnson, a senior, has already missed the last two games and is now in danger of seeing his Wildcat career end on the sideline.
“There is definitely reality to when you lose a leader like that, one of your best players like that, that has an effect,” Klein said during his weekly press conference.
Johnson’s last appearance came in Kansas State’s Oct. 17 win over rival Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown in Manhattan. At that point, the Wildcats were 4-2, and Johnson looked on track to keep building what had been the best season of his career. Instead, an undisclosed injury changed everything and sent the quarterback room into a scramble.
Blake Barnett is set to start against Oklahoma State, which would make him the fourth different quarterback to start in four games. Dillon Duff started last week, and Jacob Knuth got the nod the week before that.
It’s a jarring shift for a program that had leaned on Johnson’s stability. He had been the full-time starter since 2024 and had opened 32 straight games before getting hurt.
Through this season, Johnson has completed 118 of 187 passes for 1,301 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. He was on pace to top the numbers from his sophomore year, when he threw for 2,712 yards and 25 touchdowns.
There was also a real chance Johnson could have left a bigger mark on the Kansas State record book. That path now looks far less certain.
The one possible route back is the NCAA’s new fifth year of eligibility rule, which he could petition for after the season. If he wants another shot at the next level, Johnson may need that extra year after what was supposed to be the season NFL scouts were watching most closely.
Even with the injury cloud hanging over the finish, Johnson’s place in school history is secure. He should be remembered as one of Kansas State’s top five quarterbacks, alongside Klein, Michael Bishop, Will Howard and Skylar Thompson. The only real disappointment is that his run may end with him unable to finish it on the field.
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