Latest ESPN Slight Should Further Motivate K-State's Avery Johnson

If Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson needed any motivation for next season, he should look no further than ESPN's latest quarterback rankings.

College sports writer David Hale released his list classifying all the FBS signal-callers for next season, placing Johnson in the sixth tier with Dylan Raiola (Nebraska), CJ Bailey (North Carolina State), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), and Nico Iamaleava (UCLA). He fell below Big 12 opponents like Iowa State's Rocco Becht and Texas Tech's Behren Morton.

Johnson has been snubbed in many college football quarterback rankings after a decent yet slightly disappointing year. He was among the Big 12 favorites to win the Heisman Trophy last season, but his underwhelming play down the season's stretch weakened Kansas State's playoff chances with each loss.

Johnson finished last season with 2,712 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 605 yards and seven touchdowns. His statistics were serviceable but weren't eye-popping enough to satisfy his preseason hype.

But now, with a year of experience as the starter, Johnson should be more prepared to prove his doubters wrong and elevate to the next echelon of college quarterbacks. K-State coach Chris Klieman is confident in his quarterback, but acknowledges the pressure the junior will face with high team expectations.

"All of us are counting on Avery taking that next step, and I know he is too," Klieman said on SiriusXM on May 7. "He's feeling so much more confident and comfortable."

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