The spotlight’s been on Manhattan, Kansas—and it’s not because of the sunsets. With Avery Johnson back under center and Chris Klieman hoping to build on last year’s bounce-back campaign, Kansas State enters 2025 with bold plans and bigger expectations. But the real heat isn’t just about who’s starting. It’s about how the Wildcats plan to finish—and whether the man calling the shots can deliver the kind of season the fan base is demanding.

Dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson played a huge role in Kansas State’s 9-4 record last season. He threw for 2,712 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. But it wasn’t just his arm—his legs gave defenses nightmares, especially in that early-season win over Colorado. That’s where he connected on a 33-yard dart to Jayce Brown before collapsing in pain, clutching his right side. It turned out to be a pivotal moment in K-State’s season.

And on the Cover 3 Podcast, Bud Elliott raised a fair concern: “How is their quarterback depth? How do they go about, like, load management when it comes to using his legs or not using his legs?”

Tim Fitzgerald, a longtime Kansas State insider, didn’t sugarcoat the answer. “That is the mystery, because they had to use his legs quite a bit at Colorado, and he paid the price. And that price was paid over the next four weeks when, honestly, the team wasn’t very good. Because it’s kind of a cheat code to have Avery’s legs back there. And even when he was running the ball, this wasn’t the same guy.” Johnson’s injury clearly lingered—and so did its impact on the team’s rhythm.

That’s why Chris Klieman isn’t taking any chances in 2025. He’s putting real energy into developing the guys behind Johnson—Jacob Knuth and freshman Blake Barnett. “The two guys they’ve got back there—(Jacob) Knuth is more of a distributor, has a little more knowledge base, and he’s a little bit older. And Blake Barnett—the coaches kind of compare him to a smaller Collin Klein, in the sense that he’s going to stick his nose in there, he’s going to put his head down and pick up the yard, and he’s going to take hits and be that guy,” Fitzgerald said.

So while Avery Johnson is still the guy, the Wildcats aren’t walking into fall camp without a Plan B. Knuth, while not flashy in limited 2024 reps, was solid—hitting short throws, running effectively, and managing games well. He showed flashes in games against UT Martin and BYU and moved the chains reliably when called upon.

Barnett, on the other hand, brings real buzz. The Erie product was a four-year letterman and two-time captain. He ranked as the No. 1 player in Colorado by Rivals and On3 and landed in ESPN’s top 20 dual-threat quarterbacks nationwide. His 159 total touchdowns broke the state’s all-time record, even topping Christian McCaffrey’s numbers.

And Fitzgerald believes in his grit: “He’s a tough guy. He won a Colorado state championship on an injured leg that turned out to be broken. He played a game on a broken leg. That is so much tougher than any time I’ve been in my life—it’s disgusting. But they love this kid.” With that kind of heart and pedigree, Klieman might be grooming his future star already. Meanwhile…

Kansas State fans expect more than just promises

Despite last year’s solid record, Kansas State fans are raising the bar—and making it clear they want more than moral victories. The late-season stumble didn’t sit well with them, even after a wild 44–41 bowl win over Rutgers.

Chris Klieman knows what’s on the line. After the Wildcats dropped three of their last four regular-season games in 2024—including a painful loss to Houston—something had to change.

Fitzgerald laid out the pressure clearly: “I think with this roster and this quarterback, they need to hit double-digit wins in the regular season to really satisfy the fan base. They were on track for that last year, but injuries piled up, and blew that game at Houston; the wheels came off the wagon. So they need to avoid that.”

That Houston game in particular left a sting. K-State was still in it late, getting the ball back with 40 seconds on the clock. But Johnson’s final heave was knocked down at the 39-yard line, sealing the loss to a 4-5 team. “He’s had one of those almost every season. If they clean that up, they’re going to be a 10-1 team.”

Klieman heard the noise and responded with a bold shift in offseason prep. Instead of following the usual playbook, he consulted with strength coach Trumain Carroll and the nutrition staff. Together, they extended winter conditioning by three weeks and trimmed spring practices to just ten sessions—down from the NCAA’s allowed fifteen.

“It was more what we thought we needed as a football team, which was strength, muscle mass, weight, and speed,” Klieman explained. “All the things that we spent a good nine weeks on, and in the past we’d spent six weeks on it… Well, when you do that, you kind of hurt your development, and our science has been pretty accurate.”

And that science is showing results. Four players hit speeds above 23 mph, six broke 22 mph, and 33 topped 21 mph. In the weight room, 27 players squatted over 500 pounds, 35 cleaned over 300, and 60 benched over 300. From January to April, the team added 700 pounds of muscle across the roster.

So with a healthy Avery Johnson, two promising backups, a fine-tuned strength program, and the hunger to hit double-digit wins, Chris Klieman has everything lined up. But Kansas State fans don’t want close calls this time—they want trophies.