Why Kansas State isn’t afraid to rotate Avery Johnson and Will Howard at quarterback
College football coaches don’t usually like to rotate between a pair of quarterbacks.
That is why one of the most popular sayings in the sport goes like this: If you have two quarterbacks you actually have none.
Chris Klieman is well aware of this. On Tuesday, he said “that’s a valid point” when a reporter suggested that he would be breaking away from the norm by playing both Will Howard and Avery Johnson at the most important position on the field in K-State’s next game against TCU. But he still wants to move forward with that plan.
“What we learned from this past Saturday is that we’ve seen Will play at a really high level and be successful,” Klieman said. “And then we saw Avery play at a high level and be successful. So we feel comfortable with both guys leading this football team.”
It remains unclear how the Wildcats will divvy up snaps between Howard and Johnson this weekend, but it seems almost given that both quarterbacks will see some action.
Howard, a veteran passer who led K-State to a Big 12 championship last season, has started all six games this year. He has also thrown for 1,310 yards and nine touchdowns while struggling with turnovers. But the Wildcats pivoted to Johnson, a freshman from Maize, in their last game against Texas Tech and he responded by rushing for 90 yards and a school record five touchdowns.
Just like that, the Wildcats had a quarterback controversy on their hands.
K-State listed both Howard and Johnson as a potential starter on its weekly depth chart, which means its offense could go in any number of directions on Saturday. The coaching staff won’t make any definitive plans until later in the week. The only thing Klieman will say with vigor at the moment is that K-State is prepared to play two quarterbacks.
“I don’t have the answer and (offensive coordinator Collin Klein) wouldn’t have the answer,” Klieman said. “If you thought it would be a 60/40, 50/50 or 90/10 split, we have no idea. We’re going to go through the game plan and see who, where and what gives us the best opportunity.”
Those within the fan base will be waiting on pins and needles to see who takes the first snap against TCU, but K-State players aren’t getting caught up in the uncertainty.
“We’re going to need both of them,” running back Treshaun Ward said. “Last year, Will was the quarterback that won the Big 12 for us. We ultimately have got to trust him. He’s still got the talent and the ability and the leadership in that room. But we are going to need Avery too. He’s still coming along as a freshman, but the way he’s going, he’s doing good.”
K-State center Hayden Gillum thinks rotating between a pair of quarterbacks could provide the Wildcats with a unique advantage, even if it means entering the week without a definitive starter.
“It’s tough to prepare for,” Gillum said. “You have seen how dangerous Will Howard can be with his arm and what he can do to zone coverage. Obviously, we got to see what Avery can do with his feet and legs and he can even throw the ball around, too. It makes it hard to game plan. Every package you have to prepare for is extra work at practice that you’re taking away from a team.”
This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Why Kansas State isn’t afraid to rotate Avery Johnson and Will Howard at quarterback."