Avery Johnson has a new kind of goal in mind for himself and K-State this season
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- Avery Johnson said winning a Big 12 title would be a cherry on top for his college career.
- Johnson has thrown for 5,576 yards and 48 touchdowns in his K‑State career.
- Coach Collin Klein and Johnson are building the offense to suit his dual‑threat play.
What does a successful season look like for Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson in 2026?
It’s a fascinating question that was posed to many football coaches and players Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days.
Johnson is perhaps the most recognizable quarterback in the Big 12. The Wichita native has been scoring touchdowns for the Wildcats since he was a freshman, and he has been starting games for them ever since he was named MVP of the Pop-Tarts Bowl three years ago. He has thrown for 5,576 yards and 48 touchdowns. He has rushed for 1,378 yards and 22 touchdowns.
This is a guy who has already accomplished a ton in a purple uniform. But what’s his next step?
“To be point-blank,” K-State football coach Collin Klein said, “I think it’s winning.”
Johnson had a similar answer for himself.
“A Big 12 championship,” Johnson said, “would be a good cherry on top for me.”
It’s not as if the Wildcats haven’t won since Johnson took over as their starting quarterback. They went 8-4 and then celebrated a bowl victory in both of his first two seasons of college football. Last year, K-State went 6-6 and declined a bowl invitation after Chris Klieman surprisingly decided to retire.
For many teams and quarterbacks, those would be considered solid, if not spectacular, results. Not to mention that Johnson is within reach of several school records.
But they fall below the memorable moments that former K-State quarterbacks like Michael Bishop, Ell Roberson, Will Howard and Klein delivered to K-State. They all played in the Big 12 championship game and appeared in major bowls.
Johnson hasn’t led the Wildcats to that stage. But his legacy will change if he does.
“The quarterback gets way too much credit when you win, and he gets way too much blame when you lose,” Klein said. “There’s a lot of things that go into a quarterback’s performance and into winning and losing a ballgame. Results taint everything positively and negatively.”
As a veteran quarterback, Johnson has embraced that.
For that reason, he has a new outlook as his senior season approaches.
“When you get into counting wins,” Johnson said, “and saying, ‘OK, this many wins is a success and this many losses is a failure,’ you go down a slippery slope. We went down it last year. When you don’t start the way you want to, you can look at your season as a failure early on. I don’t want to have that mindset anymore.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to win. I’m going out there to win every single game. But I don’t want to go 12-0 or 13-0. I want to win a Big 12 championship. So our goal is to win a Big 12 championship. I think Coach Klein would say the same thing.”
It is appropriate that coach and quarterback are on the same page when it comes to that goal.
Johnson originally committed to play for Klein when he was serving as K-State’s offensive coordinator. They are both excited to reunite with the Wildcats now that he has been hired as the head coach.
Together, they have worked to help Johnson play more aggressively and show off his dual-threat skills more consistently than he did the past two seasons under other coordinators.
“I want him to play fast and I want him to play free,” Klein said. “I want him to love competing and cut it loose every single snap that he plays. We’ve got to build the car around him so that it’s ready to go as fast as he can go and as fast as we can all go together.”
Teammates have noticed a more confident quarterback in summer workouts.
“He’s been doing a great job all spring and all summer, just leading everyone,” K-State safety Wesley Fair said. “He’s going to be able to prove this year that he’s an NFL guy, and that he can make plays at the next level. He’s ready for that. That’s what he’s going to go out and prove this year.”
If that happens, perhaps a Big 12 championship will follow.
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Avery Johnson has a new kind of goal in mind for himself and K-State this season."