Pete Thamel: Avery Johnson the Future Face of College Football
It didn’t take long for folks to realize that Kansas State might have something special in freshman quarterback Avery Johnson.
The 19-year-old signal-caller out of Maize, Kansas, played his first meaningful snaps of the 2023 season against Texas Tech. In a 38-21 victory, Johnson turned 13 carries into 90 yards and five touchdowns. On the year, Johnson has completed 23 of 35 attempts for 301 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
His stellar play not only sent two backup quarterbacks to the transfer portal but also the Wildcats’ career passing touchdowns leader, Will Howard.
It’s not hard to see that the K-State offense is going to be in good hands under Johnson, and some of the top journalists in college football believe he could be a superstar in the making. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the freshman looks to be the future face of college football.
“He’s electric Rece,” Thamel said on the College Gameday Podcast. “He’s going to be the face of the sport in the upcoming years. He’s got like Anthony Richardson electricity like he’s rare man.”Â
The 6-foot-2, 188-pound quarterback was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2023, but he’s looked like he could be even better than his billing of the No. 85 overall player and No. 9 QB in the class.
Johnson will be the starter at quarterback for No. 25 Kansas State when they take on 18th-ranked NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl next week. Coverage will begin at 4:45 p.m. CT from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, with the Wildcats being favored by 2.0 points.
