Kansas State QB Avery Johnson to take part in Manning Passing Academy

Kansas State football quarterback Avery Johnson will be in elite company later this month, further evidence that he is regarded as one of the best in the college game.

Johnson, who will begin his second season as a starter for the Wildcats in 2025, was invited to serve as a counselor for the Manning Passing Academy from June 26-29 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The prestigious skills camp, geared toward high school players, is run by Archie Manning and sons Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Cooper Manning.

Johnson helped lead K-Sate to a 9-4 record and Rate Bowl victory over Rutgers in his first season as the fulltime starter, throwing for 2,712 yards and a school single season-record 25 touchdowns while rushing for 605 yards and seven more scores. He had served as understudy to Will Howard as a true freshman in 2023 and led the Wildcats to a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over North Carolina in his first start after Howard entered the transfer portal.

Johnson follows former K-State quarterbacks Howard and Skylar Thompson to be invited to the Manning Passing Academy. Other Big 12 quarterbacks on this year’s list of attendees are Iowa State’s Rocco Becht, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, Texas Tech’s Behren Morton and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson.

K-State is counting on Howard to take another step in his development as a junior in 2025, starting with the Aug. 23 season opener against Iowa State and Becht in Dublin, Ireland.

All Times CT

*Aug. 23 — vs. Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 30 — North Dakota, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)

Sept. 6 — Army, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Sept. 12 (Fri.) — at Arizona, 8 p.m. (FOX)

Sept. 20 — Open

*Sept. 27 — Central Florida, TBD

*Oct. 4 — at Baylor, TBD

*Oct. 11 — TCU, TBD

Oct. 18 — Open

*Oct. 25 — at Kansas, TBD

*Nov. 1 — Texas Tech, TBD

Nov. 8 — Open

*Nov. 15 — at Oklahoma State, TBD

*Nov. 22 — at Utah, TBD

*Nov. 29 — Colorado, TBD

*Big 12 Conference games

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.

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