Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson has quickly become a household name since taking over for veteran signal-caller Will Howard, who elected to transfer to Ohio State this offseason.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2 quarterback from Kansas, has quickly shot up Heisman odds lists, with some national writers believing the Wildcats’ quarterback could be a dark-horse candidate to take home the trophy.
The most recent name to emerge supporting Johnson’s case for the Heisman Trophy is the ActionNetwork’s Mike Calabrese, who believes “now is the time to buy” Johnson’s stock.
Calabrese listed five different categories that led to Johnson’s recognition, including the Manhattan-to-Manhattan Pipeline, the Big 12’s Auto-Bid, Johnson’s decision to commit to Kansas State, his special talents, and some final thoughts regarding the choice.
“In my opinion, the Big 12 is going to be the guilty pleasure of every college football fan this season,” Calabrese writes. “The national champion is likely going to come out of either the Big Ten or SEC, but if you’re looking for high-scoring affairs, a compelling conference title race, and Heisman-worthy highlights, the Big 12 is going to have that in spades. Grabbing at least one Big 12 signal-caller to add to your Heisman portfolio is an absolute necessity, and Johnson is one breakout game away from his odds plummeting down to the 10-1 range. Now is the time to buy.”
Johnson has quickly emerged as a candidate to watch in 2024 and is heading into the season with some of the nation’s best Heisman odds. The Wildcats will take the field for the first time in the fall on Saturday, August 31st, against the UT Martin Skyhawks.
