Kansas State QB Avery Johnson showing off ‘streak of lightning’ speed as a freshman
Avery Johnson is in command of Kansas State’s second-string offense. It’s a sunny Tuesday morning in April and the Wildcats are trying their best to simulate live game action for their players during practice. Coaches signal in a play to Johnson and he relays the call to his teammates at the line of scrimmage.
What happens next will be fun.
Johnson takes a shotgun snap and surveys the field on a passing play. Within a few seconds the freshman quarterback from Maize decides he doesn’t love his chances of getting the ball downfield with his arm so he takes off running instead.
Good call. The speedy Johnson zooms past the line of scrimmage and moves up the right side of the field for a gain of 20 yards before a defender moves close enough to tackle him.
That sequence unfolded during one of just two short practice viewing windows that K-State has provided for media this spring. But it was no fluke.
“Avery Johnson is a special, special athlete,” defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. “I see that kid running around and he looks like a streak of lightning. He’s fun to watch.”
It is far too early to know how Johnson’s career as a K-State quarterback will shake out, but one thing is already clear from his first few months on campus.
He is one of the fastest quarterbacks the Wildcats have ever signed.
“His speed is something that I noticed right away,” receiver Keagan Johnson said. “Even before spring ball just when we were doing conditioning he didn’t look like a quarterback. I think another great aspect of his games is that you can tell he’s confident.”
None of that should come as a surprise given how well Avery Johnson played during his electric high school career, which made him a heralded football recruit.
Still, his ability to scramble is already turning heads.
“Avery Johnson is incredibly athletic with the ball in his hands,” cornerbacks coach Van Malone said. “He shows big-time speed and ability to be able to push the ball downfield. He shows big time promise.
“When he gets the ball and he takes off with it, not many people are catching him.”
That is excellent news for the long-term future of K-State’s offense. The Wildcats always seem to have the most success with a dual-threat quarterback, going back to the days of Michael Bishop and Ell Roberson during the Bill Snyder era.
Skylar Thompson, Adrian Martinez and current starter Will Howard have all moved the chains with both their legs and their arms for head coach Chris Klieman.
That should continue whenever Avery Johnson gets his opportunity.
“I remember that being something that Adrian would do, and that’s something that Skylar would do and that’s something that Will does at times,” Malone said. “But this dude just looks different when he takes off.”
