When Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman took the podium at Big 12 Media Days, he made sure that he gave an ultimatum to the rest of the Big 12. And that ultimatum came in the form of a transformation. The subject of the transformation? QB1 Avery Johnson. And All it took was one stat to turn heads: 17 pounds. That’s how much lean muscle Johnson added during the offseason, and according to Klieman, it’s already making a visible impact.

“I think the biggest thing is how he looks,” Klieman said. “He’s put on probably 17 pounds of lean muscle mass. He’s filled out. He’s not a sophomore anymore—he’s an upperclassman, a junior. So his body has matured.” That physical development reflects a mindset shift in Johnson’s approach to the game. Klieman continued, “He’s taken everything very seriously in the weight room, in the nutrition, in the recovery aspect. His body is just a lot better.”

But this was never about aesthetics, was it? As much as we like strong men with bulging muscles posing in their jerseys, it’s much more about being the best version of themselves on the field. “He’s carrying a lot more weight and he’s faster,” Klieman emphasized. “And that’s something we stress: get bigger, stronger, and also be faster. He’s done that.” Man, 7 rushing TDs last season are going to be 14 real soon. Brace thyself, Big 12.

Of course, Johnson’s gains stand out even more when viewed alongside others in the conference. Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, for example, gained seven pounds this offseason. An amazing improvement in its own right. “You always try to put on as much weight as you can until it diminishes your athleticism,” Leavitt shared. His routine was a detailed plan with the training staff to carefully build strength and avoid injury. It’s impressive, but it also shows how much of a leap Johnson made in comparison to others who are in the same position.

Shake-up in the trenches

Kansas State’s offensive line room looks a lot different heading into 2025, and Chris Klieman didn’t shy away from the big update. According to Mason Voth, the Wildcats’ head coach, revealed at Big 12 Media Days that Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick has “risen to the top of the depth chart at left tackle.” That’s a major leap for a player who just arrived in Manhattan this spring, and it signals that Fitzpatrick is likely to anchor the blind side in Week 1.

Klieman highlighted returning centerpiece Sam Hecht at center, calling him “one of the best in the league”, while giving credit to veterans Taylor Poitier and Andrew Leingang for their leadership and experience. But while the returning core holds the line steady, it’s the influx of four transfer linemen that’s giving the Wildcats a unique kind of flexibility. Klieman admitted, “We’re excited to see [the other three transfers] this fall and this summer so we can figure out where they can fit in and how much they are gonna help us—because they are gonna help us. 

Another name worth watching? John Pastore. A year ago, he was penciled in as a rotation or even starting tackle before missing the entire 2024 season. Now, fully healthy and tipping the scales at over 300 pounds, the 6-foot-6 lineman is back in the mix. With more bodies and more depth, Klieman expects to “play more on the offensive line than we have in the past,” but the key, he says, is chemistry. “We need to practice those guys all together and have that chemistry together,” he concluded. That’s something they’ll aim to build fast as fall camp approaches.