Here’s what K-State QB Avery Johnson learned from prestigious Manning Passing Academy
Avery Johnson has been a busy man since spring practices came to an end at Kansas State. The junior quarterback has traveled outside the country for vacations and signed newsworthy endorsement deals. He also hosted his first youth football camp in Manhattan.
Still, he doesn’t hesitate when you ask him to identify the highlight of his offseason.
That would be the Manning Passing Academy, a prestigious QB camp that is held every June in Louisiana.
The royal family of quarterbacks — Archie, Cooper, Peyton and Eli Manning — invite the top college passers in the country to attend as counselors. Together, they spend their days teaching young players how to become better quarterbacks and then learn from the Mannings themselves.
Johnson shared his favorite moments from the camp during an exclusive interview at Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday.
“The biggest thing I took away is being able to spend time with Peyton, coach (Jon) Gruden and all the people that have been around football for years and years. With all those great minds out there I was able to take a bunch of little things back to Kansas State with me.”
The most important thing he learned while he was in Louisiana revolved around preparation.
“They taught me how important it is to have a good routine,” Johnson said. “You need to map out your days beforehand and be as efficient with your time as possible. Then, on top of that, you need to continue to do extra and more than everybody else. You have got to do what is not required. You have got to come early and stay late.
“They also broke down how they watch film and showed me things (I) can do that will definitely help me pre-snap to take my game to the next level.”
Johnson said he was surprised by the amount of young athletes and fans wearing purple at the football camp. He took more pictures and signed more autographs than he ever expected in that part of the country.
That showed him how much support both he and K-State have in this sport.
But he felt like he was in enemy territory when he was assigned to room with Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), Austin Simmons (Ole Miss) and Gunner Stockton (Georgia).
“It was an SEC room,” he said with a laugh.
Johnson was proud to represent the Big 12 at the event. But there wasn’t much trash talk exchanged in terms of conference pride.
“It was pretty much like a brotherhood,” Johnson said. “There were 50 of us there, so it’s hard to make relationships with 50 guys in two days, but I would say I got to know a good handful of guys. It was a lot of fun.”
Johnson is coming off a sophomore year in which he led K-State to nine victories while he threw for 2,712 yards and 25 touchdowns.
He has higher hopes for next season. He has spent the past few months working on his long passes. With the help of new playmakers, like Purdue transfer Jaron Tibbs at wide receiver, he thinks the Wildcats can be a more explosive offense.
Rubbing shoulders with the Manning family and many of the best quarterbacks in college football for a few days should also help.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Here’s what K-State QB Avery Johnson learned from prestigious Manning Passing Academy."