K-State’s Avery Johnson Ranked 47th Among Power 4 Quarterbacks
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Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was ranked 47th in the nation in ESPN’s Power 4 quarterback ratings of the first month of the season.
Johnson, a junior in his third year at K-State, is ranked 12th among the 16 Big 12 quarterbacks. The Wildcats (2-3) play at Baylor on Saturday. Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson is ranked 21st. ESPN ranked 68 quarterbacks.
Johnson’s ranking likely was held down by his inconsistent play and the fact that K-State was the 17th-ranked team in the AP Top 25 preseason poll and hasn’t lived up to that expectation.
ESPN wrote about Johnson: “Where’s the sense of adventure? Johnson’s instincts seem to be tangled up as he attempts to convert great athletic skills into NFL-caliber QB play.
“He has spent most of 2025 taking few chances with his arm (one interception but only 10.7 yards per completion) and trying to avoid making plays with his legs (seven scrambles, albeit for 106 yards). He finally used his legs last week against UCF, however, and produced his best game of the year. Maybe that’s a sign of improvement to come?”
In last Saturday’s 34-20 win over UCF, Johnson completed 18-of-25 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. He also gained 75 yards on 12 carries as K-State sought to get its season back on track.
Avery Johnson’s statistics
Johnson’s numbers in some categories have improved from 2024, but not in every category. Here are year-over-year comparisons in six categories:
2025 TD passes: 8 in five games (on pace for 20.7 in 13 games, presuming a bowl game)
2024 TD passes: 25 in 13 games
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2025 interceptions: 1 in five games
2024 interceptions: 10 in 13 games
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2025 completion percentage: 62.5
2024 completion percentage: 58.3
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2025 completions: 95 (on pace for 247 in 13 games)
2024 completions: 217
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2025 yards passing: 1,019 (on pace for 2,649 in 13 games)
2024 yards passing: 2,712
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2025 yards per game average: 203.8
2024 yards per game average: 208.6
Big 12 rankings with date of Kansas State game in parenthesis
Six of Kansas State’s remaining seven opponents have higher-rated quarterbacks than Johnson.
The Big 12 has two top-10 ranked quarterbacks — Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby at No. 6, and Kansas’ Jalon Daniels at No. 10.
6. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
10. Jalon Daniels, Kansas (Oct. 25)
21. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (Oct. 4)
23. Josh Hoover, TCU (Oct. 11)
24. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
28. Behren Morton, Texas Tech (Nov. 1)
31. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
34. Devon Dampier, Utah (Nov. 22)
39. Bear Hachmeier, BYU
40. Kaidon Salter, Colorado (Nov. 29)
46. Connor Weigman, Houston
47. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
51. Noah Fifita, Arizona
53. “Three injured QBs”, UCF
64. “Two or three square pegs for round holes”, West Virginia
65. Zane Flores, Oklahoma State (Nov. 15)
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Chuck Bausman is a writer for Kansas State on SI. Chuck formerly was the Executive Sports Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, Executive Sports Editor of the Courier-Post in South Jersey and Sports Copy Editor for the Detroit Free Press. He has been a Big Ten enthusiast for nearly forever. He learned how to cuss by watching Philly sports. You can reach Chuck at: bausmac@icloud.com