Avery Johnson Remains A Unique Case in the 2023 Quarterback Class

While it’s no secret that Kansas State’s Avery Johnson has turned into a star in college football since committing to the Wildcats, one aspect stands out when compared to his peers.

Johnson, listed as the ninth-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2023, is one of just three Top 10 signal-callers who have avoided entering the transfer portal since the start of his career.

The three quarterbacks that have yet to transfer in their first two years of college football are Texas’ Arch Manning, Kansas State’s Avery Johnson, and Clemson’s Christopher Vizzina.

Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleave became the latest player to transfer in the class, with a public NIL disagreement with the Tennessee Volunteers. He joins Dante Moore, Jackson Arnold, Malachi Nelson, Jaden Rashada, Aidan Chiles, and Austin Mack as players to have departed their initial team through the portal.

In addition to his loyalty, Johnson has been the most productive quarterback of the group by far on the gridiron, highlighting the fact that sometimes the grass isn’t greener elsewhere.

Below is the complete list of each quarterback in the Top 10’s career production. It’s important to note that the touchdown-to-interception ratio also factored in rushing touchdowns to the total number.

1. Avery Johnson (K-State), 4092 All-Purpose Yards, 44-10 (TD-INT)
2. Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee), 3359 All-Purpose Yards, 27-5 (TD-INT)
3. Aidan Chiles (Michigan State), 3028 All-Purpose Yards, 23-11 (TD-INT)
4. Jackson Arnold (Auburn), 2544 All-Purpose Yards, 20-6 (TD-INT)
5. Dante Moore (Oregon), 1581 All-Purpose Yards, 11-9 (TD-INT)
6. Arch Manning (Texas), 1084 All-Purpose Yards, 13-2 (TD-INT)
7. Jaden Rashada (Georgia?), 508 All-Purpose Yards, 4-3 (TD-INT)
8. Christopher Vizzina (Clemson), 258 All-Purpose Yards, 1-0 (TD-INT)
9. Malachi Nelson (Boise State), 117 All-Purpose Yards, 0-1 (TD-INT)
10. Austin Mack (Alabama), 39 All-Purpose Yards, 1-0 (TD-INT)

Johnson was recently listed as college football’s 102nd best player in a recent list from CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer. Heading into his third season at Kansas State, the hometown hero has a chance to take another step forward after leading the Wildcats to a 9-4 finish, capped off by a win over Rutgers in the Rate Bowl.