The Kansas State Player Houston Fans Need to Know
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The No. 22 Houston Cougars will be facing the Kansas State Wildcats in Week 6 action on the road in Manhattan, Kansas. While Houston enters with a 4-1 record and a big comeback win over UCF at home last Saturday, Kansas State had an early bye week.
The Wildcats are 3-1, and this game is their Big 12 home opener. While Houston may not have the rest advantage, this is a conference road game that it will need to find a way to win. Houston did not face Kansas State last season and will have to face the Wildcats on the road for just the second time in program history.
Houston battled against K-State in Manhattan back in 2023 and in TDECU Stadium in 2024. In both those games, the Wildcats' quarterback Avery Johnson saw playing time. He was the starter in 2024, but took a solid amount of snaps in 2023 as well. He's the player that Houston fans will obviously need to know.
More on Avery Johnson
Johnson, now a senior, is an elite dual-threat quarterback who can be deadly on the ground or through the air. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound signal caller has thrown for 910 yards and seven touchdown passes on a 66 percent completion rate in four games so far as well as two interceptions. Johnson also has 291 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries as well.
His potential was shown in Week 3 against Tulane, where he ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries and went 21-for-28 with 227 passing yards.
Johnson has the speed to make big plays on the ground and his passing ability continues to be formidable as well. Houston must find a way to contain him to avoid those explosive gains. Johnson will be hard to miss, but the Cougars will need to keep him in the pocket. Houston's pass rush with four hasn't been strong, but forcing Johnson to stick to passing gives the defense the best chance of being successful.
New Kansas State coach Collin Klein was a former quarterback with the program and was previously the offensive coordinator/quarterback coach at Texas A&M for the past two seasons. It's possible that may help Johnson continue to grow as a quarterback.
As a junior, Johnson threw for 2385 yards and 18 touchdowns on just under a 60 percent completion rate, along with six interceptions. He also ran for 477 yards and eight touchdowns on 109 carries.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.