ESPN Offers Positive Outlook on K-State QB Avery Johnson’s Latest Challenge
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson has faced a lot of changes since joining the team, including having a new offensive coordinator each year. While this would typically be a tough adjustment, ESPN believes it will be a smooth transition for Johnson due to the familiarity of his new coordinator, Matt Wells, who served as the team’s quarterbacks coach last season.
ESPN noted that after Conor Riley left for the NFL, K-State head coach Chris Klieman chose Wells, the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, to take over. Wells, who previously served as head coach at Texas Tech and Utah State, brings stability to the position.
Johnson and Wells began to develop a solid relationship last season. Despite some ups and downs in his first year as the full-time starter, Johnson led the Wildcats to a 9-4 record, capped off by a victory over Rutgers in the Liberty Bowl. Heading into the new season, Johnson is once again under the spotlight, with some even naming him a potential darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly acknowledged that while having a third offensive coordinator in as many years isn’t ideal, the Wildcats still have strong continuity in most areas, and Klieman bolstered the team with key portal additions, particularly on the offensive line and in the secondary. As a result, K-State enters the season with top-15 returning production.
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