Kansas State Hoping To Get More Vertical In Passing Game This Season

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

An unmistakable smile crossed his face when Kansas State coach Chris Klieman talked about the offense in the upcoming season.

Of course, in this digital age of social media and YouTube, Klieman wouldn’t reveal much in the press conference following the end of spring football. 

He did offer that they will do a lot of similar things as last year. With sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson taking over full time, Wildcat fans can continue to expect a dynamic running game.

But don’t be surprised if K-State adds a few more deep passes to the offense, at least more than last year.

“We are doing some things to get the ball on the perimeter and taking some shots down field,” Klieman said. “We were down some numbers at wide receiver. There are going to be some things that are different that people haven’t seen here.”

And that is exciting. People love the long ball in baseball. Well, the same is true in football. Few things are as exciting as a deep throw that results in a 50, 60 or 70-yard touchdown reception. Those plays are game changers.

One player expected to be on the receiving end on some of those plays is sophomore wideout Jayce Brown. A year ago, he averaged 16.2 yards per catch.

Plenty will hinge on the development of Johnson, who got more than a taste of college football as a true freshman. He saw action in eight games and threw for 479 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I sit in a good amount of QB meetings and seeing his growth and seeing the things we talk about in the meetings and taking them to practice, it has been fun to see him evolve.”