Kansas State first-year coach Collin Klein didn’t hesitate when asked about the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility rule. For him, it’s a change that makes sense for the sport.
The NCAA’s recent move allows student-athletes to compete for five years after they turn 19, and Klein said he sees the value in that setup ahead of the Wildcats’ season opener Saturday night against Nicholls at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.
"I think it's a really, really good thing for college football," Klein said. "It keeps players from getting caught in a corner of what's best for the team is not what's best for them. That was at odds at times when you have to say, 'Hey, for us to win this ballgame, you need to play this many snaps and this many games, and that takes away a year for you."'
The rule matters in Manhattan because it could have a direct impact on quarterback Avery Johnson. Johnson is listed as a senior, but the new eligibility model could give him the chance to return for another season with the Wildcats. He hasn’t said anything publicly about the situation yet, choosing instead to stay focused on the present.
Klein’s connection to Johnson makes the possibility even more notable. Klein was a major part of Johnson’s recruitment to Kansas State, and Johnson is now in his third season as the full-time starter.
The timing also matters for Johnson’s professional future. He is looking to improve his NFL draft stock, and most analysts currently project him as a seventh-round pick. If this season doesn’t go the way he wants, another year in college could end up being a real benefit.
Johnson arrived at Kansas State as a four-star recruit out of Maize High School in the Wichita area. He followed a strong sophomore campaign with an inconsistent junior season, and that uneven play helped lead the Wildcats to a 6-6 finish last year. Now the expectation is that things can shift under Klein in his first year running the program.
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