Kansas
K-State's speedy Avery Johnson wants to prove he can also beat you with his arm
When NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson was preparing his team for its matchup against Kansas State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Gibson, one of the nation’s best DCs, thought hard about Avery Johnson. He knew that Johnson was fast, but once the game got rolling, Gibson realized game film didn’t do justice to just how fast the Wildcats’ young quarterback really is.
“He’s really dangerous,” Gibson told The Athletic. “He’s got elite speed. That kid can freakin’ go. He is like fast fast. We got guys that can run, and he killed us in the bowl game. He’s gonna be a handful for people to defend.”
Making his first college start, Johnson, a true freshman, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third, along with 71 yards on the ground to win MVP honors while leading Kansas State to a 28-19 victory.
Gibson had a front-row seat for some of the fastest quarterbacks the game has ever seen when he was a defensive assistant at West Virginia and Michigan — that’s when he’d see Pat White and Denard Robinson at practice every day.
“I don’t know if he’s in that category, but he’s right there,” Gibson said.
It’s worth noting that both of those dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks had breakout seasons in their second year of college football. Don’t be shocked if Johnson makes a similar impact at Kansas State in his second year and helps his team make a run at the College Football Playoff in 2024. The Wildcats were picked to finish second, behind Utah, in the Big 12’s preseason poll. Kansas State’s schedule sets up quite well for its CFP hopes. The Wildcats don’t face Utah in the regular season and the three teams picked to finish third, fourth and fifth — Oklahoma State, Kansas and Arizona — all have to visit the Little Apple this fall.
Last season, Kansas State ranked second in the Big 12 in scoring (37.1 points per game) and proved lethal in the red zone, ranking first in the Big 12 and No. 2 in the country by scoring touchdowns on 78.6 percent of trips inside the 20. Those numbers figure to increase with Johnson’s development to complement a gifted running back combination of DJ Giddens, a 212-pound junior who ran for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns, and speedy Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards.
Johnson averaged almost 12 yards per carry on third downs in 2023. In his first significant action last season, he completed eight of nine passes against Texas Tech and ran for five touchdowns.
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman has been a big believer in Johnson long before the Wichita native ever suited up for the Wildcats. It’s why folks inside the program last winter saw Johnson as the future and present of the program — which explained why Will Howard, the veteran quarterback who in 2022 led the team to the Big 12 title, entered the portal in December and transferred to Ohio State.
Johnson’s year watching Howard was invaluable, especially as he observed Howard’s leadership abilities and how he studied film.
“He helped me in so many ways,” Johnson said.
When Johnson was growing up, Oregon was the flashy program with the exciting style and cool uniforms that cracked into the mainstream. Johnson grew up a Kansas State fan but loved the way Marcus Mariota played. Johnson has the style and, more importantly, game to potentially do something similar for the Wildcats. The quarterback with the golden locks flowing out the back of his helmet is now driving around in a lavender Corvette as part of his latest NIL deal.
Klieman said he knew Johnson was indeed ready for that moment last year to lead the Wildcats in the bowl game against NC State. He believes Johnson has “the it factor,” which makes him such a rare talent because he also has uncommon maturity for his age to go with his drive and athleticism. Johnson was the first top-ranked player from Kansas to sign with the Wildcats in 19 years, picking the Wildcats over Oregon and Washington, among many others.
“We saw enough last year that we knew he was gonna be the guy long-term for us,” he said. “It was his time. I told him when we recruited him that he was gonna be the face of the program and it came up late in his first year where he ended up truly being the face. I’m excited because he’s taken that mantle really well. For a young player, he’s been a great leader.
“You can tell the guys that have an ‘it factor.’ The confidence but not arrogance. I believe, and he believes, that he should be the best quarterback in this league. Now he has to go out and prove it.”
Klieman, who won four FCS national titles at North Dakota State, said Johnson is the best competitor he’s been around since Easton Stick, the veteran L.A. Chargers backup quarterback who led the Bison to those four championships.
This offseason, Johnson really worked on becoming a better leader and better passer.
“Last year it was about putting my head down to work, and now my name holds a little more weight. But now it’s just about staying humble and putting in the work day in and day out,” Johnson said.
A year ago, he had just 174 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame. Johnson says that he’s now at 195 and that he feels just as fast as he was when he was 21 pounds lighter.
“My top speed has stayed around 22 (miles per hour) every time,” Johnson said.
He’s always been the fastest one on the field. He first started working on his speed in second grade by running hills, skipping up and down and doing overspeed training with his now longtime trainer Brian Butler. In eighth grade, Johnson began working with private quarterback coach Justin Hoover. Johnson is proud to say that because of NIL, he can now pay for his trainers on his own.
“When you run a 4.3 (40), I don’t think people realize just how good he is at throwing the football,” said Hoover, who also has spent a decade as one of the coaches of the Elite 11 quarterback event, where Johnson shined two summers ago.
Hoover said Johnson’s ability to handle so many different arm angles and his knack for finding space is what makes his arm talent stand out.
“I hate it for him and I know that he doesn’t care that people take away from just how good of a passer he is, and how good he is going to be,” Hoover said.
In limited action last season, Johnson completed 37 of 66 passes for 479 yards with five touchdown passes and zero interceptions to go with seven rushing TDs and almost 300 yards on the ground.
New Wildcats quarterbacks coach Matt Wells had another wiry young QB back when he was the head coach at Utah State and helped develop Jordan Love into a first-round NFL Draft pick and franchise player for the Green Bay Packers. Wells told The Athletic he sees some similarities with Love and Johnson.
“Avery’s got elite speed and is uber-talented,” Wells said. “He’s accurate and has great anticipation. The biggest parallel that I see is their hunger to be great at an early age. Jordan had that at Utah State and was always a guy who came in, studied and grinded in his own way, quietly behind the scenes. I see a lot of the same things in Avery.”
This offseason, Johnson worked on widening his base, and he tweaked his arm action a bit to smooth out his motion, hoping to better sync it up with the rest of his body.
“I do think the ball is coming out of his hand differently,” Hoover said. “He’s worked hard. I think he wants to prove he can beat people with his arm.”
He also sounds eager to prove that he’s even faster than some think. Earlier this month, Hoover had Johnson and another one of his proteges, New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock, in for a session. As they were warming up, Lock asked Johnson about the new college football video game. Hoover said the Wildcats quarterback was mad because Johnson was listed as the 10th-fastest guy on the Kansas State roster.
Lock thought Johnson was joking when he told him he was the fastest player on the team. Johnson wasn’t joking.
“No, seriously, I am the fastest guy,” he said.
Rival coaches won’t doubt that.
(Top photo of Avery Johnson: Julio Aguilar / Getty)
The Tacoma Defiance continued a weekend of Seattle vs Kansas soccer with a draw against Sporting Kansas City II. The Sporting second team has not been immune to the struggles in Kansas City, as they have started the season with six points through 9 games and a -15 goal difference. With a Defiance starting lineup featuring six players on first-team contracts, taking home three points should have been the expectation.
The first half was eerily similar to Saturday with Defiance dominating the run of play but entering the locker room with a 1-1 draw. They conceded the opening goal in the 40th minute where Charlie Gaffney and Cody Baker did not organize themselves well to cover the cross from the left side. That cross found an unmarked Shane Donovan who was able to score off a header to the near post, past academy goalkeeper Noah Newman in his first start of 2026.
Five minutes later, Baker equalized with a golazo from 25 yards out that was ripped into the upper right corner. This shot came off a clearance but the sequence right before was representative of how dangerous the left side of the team was. Peter Kingston found a cross-field ball to Sebastian Gomez, his combination play with Codey Phoenix and ability to create space on the dribble led to the cross.
The second half was more evenly played throughout but ended the same as the first with a goal apiece. The Defiance first-teamers came through in the 57th minute when Gomez received the ball on the left touchline, dribbled and centered for Osaze De Rosario. He made a nice move around the defender and slotted the ball in the corner from the top of the box.
SKC II scored in the 63rd minute on a corner after the initial ball wasn’t cleared. It bounced around before landing to previous goal scorer Donovan whose shot was on target but got a slight touch from Tega Ikoba.
With regulation ending in a draw, the teams went to a PK shootout where Defiance won 4–2 after Newman made two saves. Edson Carli converted the winning spot kick.
Overview
Lineup
Stats
xG
Shots
Key performers
Sebastian Gomez
Gomez is making the left winger position his own, consistently being a dangerous outlet and getting an assist in his second straight game. His dribbling and passing ability make him a creative machine out wide and he is finding dangerous passes forward illustrated by his four key passes on the evening. He also finds the pass before the pass, like in the 46th minute when he finds a little through ball from top of the box to Tsukanome on the right side of the box. This led to a dangerous cross to De Rosario but was really kickstarted by Gomez. He has grown throughout the year thus far and looks to be hitting a strong run of form.
Peter Kingston
Kingston returned to the double-pivot in this one and showed why this is probably his best position moving forward. He set the tempo for the team, keeping possession with 86% passing on 58 attempts. However, he also knew when to take the chance and had two key passes of his own. His best pass of the evening was in the 11th minute when he broke two lines on a through ball to Mark O’Neill. His versatility is a key factor in getting as many minutes as he has with the first team but performances like tonight make the case on where he should be long term.
Osaze De Rosario
De Rosario got a run out a day earlier with the first team and followed that up with a start for Defiance. He wasn’t quite as involved as is ideal with only 3 total shots but he was also in the right positions and close to finishing in the 2nd and 46th minute. He did ultimately find the back of the net in the 57th minute after receiving the ball at the top of the box, beating his defender to open up space and placing his shot in the corner. The longer run out and seeing the ball hit the back of the net will hopefully get him some rhythm for his next appearance at the first team.
Highlights
Replay
The Kansas basketball program has made several notable additions since the transfer portal opened, landing three newcomers to round out the starting five. More importantly, the Jayhawks were able to secure top-ranked 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes, one of the most talented high school recruits Bill Self has ever acquired.
It has been an eventful offseason for the coaching staff, but its work in the portal is not done yet. KU still has four scholarships to fill out and will need to use one or two to add impact players off the bench.
Even if KU doesn’t land another starting-caliber transfer, it will need significantly more help on the second unit, especially in the backcourt. These are three players the Jayhawks have been in contact with and are considered strong options for the team next year.
3. James White (New Orleans)
A former Ole Miss, UAB, and New Orleans guard, James White has endured a tumultuous collegiate career, but averaged 19.2 points and 7.0 rebounds at his last stop. He is a 6-foot-5 wing who can get downhill with ease and would provide instant offense on the second unit.
White has become somewhat of a forgotten name since being involved in a sports gambling investigation two seasons ago, but he is reportedly drawing interest from top programs like Kansas and has likely been cleared by the NCAA. If KU is willing to take a chance on his controversial background, White would be an excellent rim-running guard for the staff to pursue.
2. Vyctorius Miller (Oklahoma State)
Miller took a visit to Kansas last month and hasn’t been closely linked to the program since. However, he remains one of the Jayhawks’ top targets as they look to add another bench piece.
The former Oklahoma State guard averaged 10.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 32 games (26 starts) for the Cowboys this past season. If he is willing to take on a smaller role at KU, he could help replace the departures of Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell in the backcourt.
1. Abdi Bashir Jr. (Kansas State)
Bashir Jr. completed a Zoom call with the KU coaching staff last week and has been on the radar of Jayhawk fans since. His skill set would fit perfectly as a sixth man off KU’s bench.
After playing two years at Monmouth, where he earned All-CAA honors as a sophomore, Bashir transferred to Kansas State for his junior campaign. He averaged 13.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 44.4% from 3-point range on 8.4 attempts per game.
It has been a while since the Jayhawks have had a 3-point shooter as prolific as Bashir. The rest of his game, including his defense, may be a question mark, but Kansas could desperately use a flamethrower who can swing a game instantly with his outside shooting.
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Mason Cook got thrust into a bullpen role last Friday against Kansas State. He delivered 4.2 after a shortened start to help Kansas take game one against its in-state rival.
On Saturday, Cook returned to the weekend rotation with a bang to help the Jayhawks clinch the series against Arizona with a 7-2 win. The right-hander delivered a quality start, tossing six innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. Cook has bounced between starting and providing bulk innings in relief but hasn’t shifted his mentality based on his role.
“Let’s just get guys out. It’s that simple,” Cook said postgame. “No matter what spot you’re in, it doesn’t really like change or anything. Just go in there, first pitch strike, and get guys out.”
Cook’s start backed up Dominic Voegele’s 15-strikeout complete game in Friday night’s win. After seeing Voegele’s start, Cook gained confidence that he could have a strong start of his own.
“I kind of joked with him after the game, was like, ‘I tried to go nine, man’” Cook said. “There’s so much momentum about [it]. Like it just boosts your confidence. He can do it, I mean he’s a great pitcher. Anybody can do it.”
The Jayhawks’ lineup backed Cook up, breaking things open with a four-run fourth. Kansas tallied four straight extra-base hits, capped by a two-run homer from Josh Dykhoff to give Kansas a 5-2 lead.
“Hitting is just contagious,” Dykhoff said. “It’s just that energy kind of throughout the dugout. And then you get those guys in there, like a lot of swings in a row too… Just something that seems to happen to us honestly.”
Kansas wins seventh straight series behind strong start from Cook
The win over Arizona clinched Kansas’ seventh straight series win. The Jayhawks have won nine and a row and will aim for their fifth Big 12 sweep on Sunday. Kansas has also yet to lose a conference game at Hoglund Ballpark, holding a 16-2 overall home record.
“I’ve said it a million times, they’re the best student section in college baseball,” Dan Fitzgerald said. “They show up every day, and they’re a huge energy source for us. And I think this is a team, like I’ve said a trillion times, they just love being together.”
The Kansas bats backed Cook early, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out via a Jordan Bach single and Tyson LeBlanc double. Brady Ballinger cashed in on a shallow fly to right field. Bach tested the arm of Caleb Danzeisen, sliding in safely to give the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.
Cook continued to make quick work of the Arizona bats. The Wildcats got their first two baserunners in the next two innings, but Cook strung together zeros. The right-hander tallied seven strikeouts through four frames.
Kansas opened things up against Patrick Morris in the bottom of the fourth. The Jayhawks tallied four consecutive extra-base hits, with Tyson Owens and Augusto Mungarrieta trading RBI doubles. Josh Dykhoff followed with a two-run laser to give the Jayhawks a 5-1 lead before recording an out.
The Wildcats reached scoring position for the second time all game in the fifth. Carson McEntire blooped a single to left to put runners on the corners with two outs. Cook delivered again, inducing a groundout to put up another zero.
Andrew Cain and Tony Lira tallied consecutive singles to open the sixth, putting runners on the corners. The Wildcats got on the board, but Cook limited the damage to one run as he induced a double play.
Jayhawks add runs late, clinch series win
Cook gave way to Toby Scheidt and Riane Ritter, who each tallied scoreless innings. Arizona matched with three scoreless innings, but the Jayhawks broke out of their slumber in the eighth.
The first three batters of the inning reached, and Cade Baldridge brought home a run on a fielder’s choice. LeBlanc laid a bunt down the third-base line for an RBI infield single to give Kansas a 7-1 lead heading into the ninth.
Manning West took the mound to start the ninth, but he allowed a walk and run-scoring double. Boede Rahe prevented things from getting out of hand, striking out all three Wildcats to clinch the series win.
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