Avery Johnson is a homebody at heart, which he fully demonstrated on Tuesday by committing to Kansas State.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound quarterback from Maize High School in Maize, Kansas, is ranked No. 94 on the ESPN 300. He chose Kansas State over Oregon and Washington.
“It was really just Kansas State has been on me from the start,” he told ESPN. “Out of my top three schools, they were back at the beginning toward the end of my sophomore year. Oregon and Washington kind of came around in 2022. I’ve only been getting to know them for about six months. But it really just came down to … throughout this whole process they always say, ‘Go where you’re wanted the most.’
“Kansas State has always shown that they’ve wanted me the most. I feel like I can achieve all my goals and ultimately get to the next level and develop at Kansas State. I just felt like after putting it into perspective like that, it was a no-brainer.”
Last year as a junior for Maize, he racked up 3,629 total yards (2,549 passing) and 42 total touchdowns (22 rushing).
Johnson is the first ESPN 300 recruit for the Wildcats in 2023 and the first ESPN 300 QB they’ve reeled in since Jake Rubley in 2021.
Johnson credited the move of former Kansas State QB Collin Klein to offensive coordinator on Chris Kleiman’s staff before last season’s bowl game against LSU.
“I love their new offense that they got going on there,” Johnson said. “I definitely think it’s a perfect fit for me. It allows me to be comfortable and do what I do best. I don’t have to run the ball every play or throw the ball every play. I think I can be a hybrid and just kind of do my thing.”
Johnson was named an Elite 11 quarterback over the weekend.