Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is already drawing video-game buzz before the real season gets rolling.
In the newly released College Football 27 database, Johnson checks in with an overall rating of 88, making him the highest-rated player on the Wildcats’ roster and the No. 15 quarterback in the game. Among the 9,013 players included, he lands inside the top 150 overall.
That kind of number should make him a pretty easy pick when friends or teammates fire up the game.
EA Sports seems especially sold on Johnson’s ability to process the field. His awareness rating comes in at 93, the best mark in his profile.
He also earned 91s in agility, change of direction and injury, plus an 88 in speed. His lowest rating is strength, at 65.
Johnson is part of a strong Kansas State group in the game. Eleven Wildcats are rated 80 or higher, with tight end Garrett Oakley and defensive back Ja’Son Prevard both at 87. Running back Joe Jackson and defensive end Wendell Gregory each sit at 85, while wide receiver Jaron Tibbs and offensive lineman John Pastore are both at 84.
The rest of the 80-plus club includes defensive back Kaleb Patterson at 83, running backs Jay Harris and Rodney Fields at 81, and defensive back Adrian Maddox at 80.
At the top of the entire game, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith owns the highest rating at 99, while Oregon quarterback Dante Moore leads all passers with a 95.
For Kansas State gamers, though, the setup looks built around a quarterback who can do plenty of damage and a backfield that gives them options. With Johnson and three running backs all in the 80s, EA Sports clearly expects the Wildcats to be able to lean on the run in the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Made An Early Offer Fans Will Read Into
Kansas States roster reset has already pushed the staff to think ahead, and the latest move fits that timeline. The Wildcats have extended an early offer in the 2027 class as they keep adding names to the board while working to replace the production and depth lost to departures and injuries last season. With three players already committed for 2026 in Nash Stark, Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson, the program is trying to balance immediate roster needs with a longer runway.
The new target adds another layer to that effort, especially because the staff is clearly not waiting around to sort out the future frontcourt. Kansas State is still hunting its first 2027 commitment, and every early offer feels like part of a bigger attempt to stay ahead in a cycle that could shape the next version of the Wildcats. For a team still rebuilding its base, these first moves can say as much about priorities as any commitment eventually will. [Read more 🡒]
K-State's Quarterback Timeline May Have Just Changed Everything
A proposed NCAA eligibility overhaul could wind up reshaping the outlook around the Wildcats quarterback room, and not just for this season. The model would replace the old five-years-to-play-four structure with an age-based setup that gives athletes five seasons if they enroll by age 19, a change meant to simplify the mess of college eligibility while keeping older players from lingering too long.
For Kansas State, the ripple effects are easy to see. A potential extra window for Avery Johnson would give the program more flexibility in how it plans around him, and it could also buy Collin Klein and Sean Gleason more time to keep building the offense around a quarterback they expect to anchor the team. Even with the NFL conversation hovering in the background, the new framework would leave the Wildcats with a much longer runway than they would have had before. [Read more 🡒]