Kansas State coach Collin Klein and QB Avery Johnson discuss leadership, development as Wildcats enter third season of full-time starting QB

Kansas State’s first-year head coach, Collin Klein, is nearing the nine-month mark on the job, and he used that time to take a close look at the Wildcats’ quarterback room. In an interview reported by Yahoo Sports, Klein laid out what he has seen from Avery Johnson as Johnson prepares for his third season as the team’s full-time starter.

Johnson’s upcoming season carries added weight because the quarterback role is not simply about executing plays, it is also about setting the tone for the offense week to week. With Johnson entering a point where his experience has had time to turn into routine, Klein’s focus has centered on how that maturity shows up in practice habits, decision-making, and how Johnson handles the pace and expectations of being the clear focal point.

From Klein’s perspective, a veteran starting quarterback is the bridge between a coach’s plan and the field reality of college football. The job of the head coach in year one is to install culture and structure, and the quarterback is often where those expectations become visible to the entire roster. Klein’s commentary, as reported by Yahoo Sports, framed Johnson’s development in that practical way, as a quarterback learning how to process information and command the offense as the scheme continues to take shape.

For Kansas State, the quarterback timeline is particularly relevant because it determines how quickly the rest of the offense can trust timing and communication. As Johnson moves into a third season as the starter, the Wildcats can be more confident that concepts will be understood not only as formations and route calls, but as repeatable decisions built on film and live looks. That kind of continuity can matter against the variety of pressure packages teams see in the Big 12.

Klein’s nearly nine months on the job also matter because they represent the period when an offense can start to become more cohesive. Early coaching changes often require adjustments for everyone, including linemen, receivers, and the quarterback. When a program can keep the starting quarterback constant and aligned with the coach’s process, the installation phase can shift from experimentation to sharpening execution, especially in the weeks leading into conference play.

Still, it is important to separate offseason clarity from in-game proof. An interview can illuminate the coaching staff’s priorities and the quarterback’s role in that plan, but the final evaluation arrives when the offense faces game-speed variables, including third-down situations, late clock decisions, and coverage adjustments by opponents.

As Kansas State moves forward from this preseason window, the questions that should carry the most attention are how consistently Johnson can run the offense the way Klein envisions, how quickly the unit responds to pressure and substitutions, and whether the Wildcats use Johnson’s experience to reduce mental errors and improve tempo control. Those are the areas where “what the coach has seen” in practice often becomes most obvious once the season begins.

For viewers trying to track the story as it develops, watch how Kansas State uses Johnson’s command of the play to support the surrounding personnel. When a quarterback is in a stable starting stretch, the offense can more easily build identity, and Klein’s comments suggest the Wildcats are trying to use Johnson as the central reference point for that identity as the season approaches.