Former Gators Wing Keyontae Johnson Commits to Kansas State
Former Florida Gators star forward Keyontae Johnson started a new chapter on Saturday as he pledged to transfer to Kansas State.
Deemed ineligible by the Gators' medical staff following his concerning collapse against Florida State in 2020-21, Johnson chose to test the market in hopes another school would grant him the opportunity to continue his career when he entered the transfer portal in May.
On Wednesday, Johnson got one step closer to turning that dream of playing basketball again into reality. He released a top four schools list compiled of Kansas State, Memphis, Nebraska and Western Kentucky.
While all schools expressed interest, the Wildcats won out in the end.
Manhattan (Kan.) has quickly become a beacon of opportunity this offseason.
Following a 14-17 season, losing 12 games by single digits, the turmoil continued for the Kansas State Wildcats as head coach Bruce Weber resigned from his position.
That development forced a vast reconstruction.
Bringing in first year head coach Jerome Tang — who comes over after 19 years as an assistant for Scott Drew at Baylor — and seven total transfers thus far, Kansas State is well on their way to doing just that.
That breath of fresh air sweeping through the program from top to bottom makes it stand atop my list of the four schools chosen by Johnson. It’s just what he needs: a fresh start.
After losing their star power from a season ago in Nijel Pack — transferring to Miami and earning a history-making NIL deal in college basketball — bringing in Johnson is a high risk, high reward acquisition.
Barring any lasting effects on Johnson from his extended time off, he presents the necessary two-way athleticism to be a foundation of what Tang will provide to the Wildcats under his reign. At his peak, he is a good team’s leading scorer and all-around best player.
Simply put, he can assume the star player void.
The same way Baylor capitalized on being the land of misfit toys in 2020-21, taking home a national championship, Kansas State will be largely reliant on the presence of transfers under Tang.
If they can mesh together well, the Wildcats could resurge sooner than expected. Johnson is the perfect bridge piece for that endeavor.
Johnson will get an opportunity to face off against his former squad this season as the Gators hit the road to take on K State on Jan. 29 as part of the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
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