Big 12 Football Media Days gave Kansas State a chance to reset the conversation, and Collin Klein and Avery Johnson did plenty of talking in Frisco. Between Johnson’s blunt assessment of the Wildcats’ 2025 season and Klein’s repeated emphasis on leadership and detail, K-State’s message was clear: the program wants the next stretch to look a lot different.
The day also offered a reminder of how much the return of Klein means inside the building. Johnson said the hiring of Klein changed everything after there had been “a bunch of question marks in the air,” and Klein made it clear he sees the job as something bigger than wins and losses.
“It’s still surreal, but the roots of it are still the same. I get to be part of a program that values things that are so much bigger than football.
We have a platform to impact young men and set the trajectory for the rest of their lives. The two men who came before me had that same mindset.
I get to wake up every day, solve problems, overcome challenges, bring people together, and sell what I believe is the best university in the country. That’s an unbelievable blessing.”
Johnson, for his part, called Klein’s return “a dream come true” and said that after one conversation with him, staying at Kansas State felt right.
“It’s really a dream come true because he was the main reason why I chose K-State. I chose K-State because of the people, the players, and Coach Klieman, but when the news broke that he was leaving there were a bunch of question marks in the air.
After they hired Coach Klein and we had one conversation, it just seemed right, and I didn’t want to leave. Everything works out for a reason, and I think God put him back here for a reason.
That’s what I’m most excited for this year.”
Klein also had high praise for his quarterback, and not just for the obvious tools.
“I would argue that some of his best attributes are not physical. I know everybody sees how fast he is and how well he can run.
They see the arm talent and the zip on the football, but he’s one of the best competitors I’ve been around. He works hard at his craft.
He’s a very stoic, laid-back guy, but that processor is going, and his motor is running hot under there even though he’s calm on the outside. We both love football, we both love competing and winning, and we both love the team.
That’s a really good combination.”
Johnson didn’t shy away from the lessons of last season, either. He said the Wildcats learned the hard way how little room there is for mistakes in the Big 12, and he pointed directly to the team’s lack of focus on details during the offseason.
“The biggest thing I take away is how small the margin of error is in the Big 12 and in college football. We weren’t focused enough on the little things in the winter, spring and summer.
We were so focused on winning a Big 12 championship that when you start the season with three losses, it’s like all that work you did in the offseason was for something you couldn’t even accomplish anymore. Coach Klein has brought back a one-week season.
All the little things matter. How you do one thing is how you do everything.
You can’t take days off. You can’t slack.
He understands what it takes to win.”
He also explained why he stayed put.
“I still have a bunch of unfinished goals that I want to accomplish. I could have run off somewhere else, but that’s just not the type of character person I am.
I wanted to give back to K-State. I wanted people that wanted to be here, people that wanted to compete and people that loved K-State the way I love K-State because I don’t think our team had a lot of people like that last year.
I think a lot of people were saying, ‘How can I get the most from K-State?’ and not, ‘What can I give back to K-State?’
It means a lot to wear this Powercat on my chest and represent this university because this university means a lot.”
Johnson also described a changed offseason program, even if he joked about how much he enjoys it.
“Yeah, they suck. We’ve been doing a bunch of player-led work to build chemistry and get more reps outside of the time the NCAA gives us.
Our strength and conditioning program is really position-specific now. Big guys train one way, skill guys another, quarterbacks another.
We’re training for football instead of just training as lifters or runners. We still don’t have it nearly as hard as the old Snyder teams did, but we’re working hard, and I definitely think it’s going to pay dividends this fall.”
Klein singled out Wesley Fair as one of the players who took a step forward in the spring.
“I think his communication and confidence got better throughout the spring. He helped everyone around him play faster.
What I’ve appreciated most is his leadership. He’s willing to step up and say, ‘This is what’s going on.
This is an issue. We’ve got to get this fixed.’
Even when it’s uncomfortable for someone to say, he’s willing to say it. I respect the heck out of that.”
Johnson also laid out his own NFL mindset, and he did not sound interested in modest goals.
“The biggest thing for quarterbacks is being able to win games. Nobody wants a loser.
So much of my success comes from the people around me. I have all the talent in the world and all the confidence in the world, but now it’s about going out there, competing and showing I’m the best quarterback in the nation.
That’s how I’ve always thought about myself, so why not go prove it?”
Klein said he learned from Bill Snyder, though that quote was not included in the source excerpt.
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