Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson could miss the remainder of the 2026 season. Head coach Collin Klein spoke to reporters on Monday and said Johnson has an "outside chance" of returning to the field this year. Johnson has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury.
Klein also said that Blake Barrnett would get the start against Oklahoma State on Saturday. Barnett replaced starter Dillon Duff against Colorado and finished 18-of-28 for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Before Johnson missed the last two games, he was fourth in the Big 12 in total offense with 1,301 passing yards, 463 rushing yards, and 13 total touchdowns.
He is eligible to return for a fifth season in 2027. Johnson has spent his entire college career at Kansas State. In 2025, Johnson completed 60% of his passes for 2,385 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while rushing for 477 yards and eight touchdowns.
He became Kansas State's full-time starter in 2024 and completed 58.3% of his passes for 2,712 yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 605 yards and seven touchdowns. Before the start of the season, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg spoke to a Big 12 defensive coordinator about Johnson.
The coach said Johnson is "very average" before praising his athletic ability. "They should have just run the s**t out of him, and then the ball would have been easier to throw. He didn’t want to run last year, and that’s his superpower. [New coach] Collin Klein‘s really good, so it will be interesting to see how they use him this year."
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