Grading Avery Johnson's performance in Week 1 win against UT Martin

With the way everyone has talked about Kansas State, myself included, it sounds like Avery Johnson is the second coming and will be the savior for Kansas State football. That is a lot to put on a 19-year-old who is just now becoming a starter at Division I Power Four conference school.

That is not to say that Johnson is not up for the challenge, but handing the reigns of an entire football program to a 19-year-old is like handing the car keys to a new 16-year-old driver.

In Week 1, Johnson did not look quite as explosive and decisive against UT Martin. Some of that comes from play calling and not wanting to give away the whole offense in the first game of the season, but some of it also could have been nerves or even some over-hype for just the first game of the season.

While Johnson looked good enough for the Wildcats to get a win, with all the hype behind his taking over the starting position, his performance was underwhelming.

Again, yes Johnson probably wasn't going to come out and run for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game because Klieman did not want to show his hand, but fans probably hoped for more.

In 2023, Johnson's best game hands down was against Texas Tech, a game where he had to step in for an injured Will Howard. Johnson was only 8-for-9 for 77 yards, but he has 13 rushes for 90 yards and five touchdowns. That is the Avery Johnson fans were hoping to see it, but that is not a realistic expectation to have for every game.

So if we are handing out grades here, Johnson would probably get a B- for his play in Week 1.

Against UT Martin, Johnson was 14-for-21 with two touchdowns and an interception, the first of his career. He also added three rushes for 37 yards and averaged 12.3 yards per carry. The numbers aren't show-stopping, but sometimes stats don't always tell the whole story, but in this case, they kind of did.

Johnson looked uncomfortable for most of the night, but some of that could have even been because of all the new weapons and protection around him, Johnson is working with a whole new offensive line this season, one that has now collectively had one game together. He was also dealing with new weapons in the wide receiver position, a young Jayce Brown, Keagan Johnson, and new transfer Dante Cephas.

Johnson had some great moments, like his 60-yard pass to Jayce Brown that set up a 1-yard touchdown run for Dylan Edwards. That is the Johnson fans are hoping to see more of.

A lot of these things could add up to the way Johnson played, but it will all be more telling as the season goes on. Johnson will get another chance to show people what he is made of as a starter, this time against a tougher opponent with Tulane.