An ESPN report on Wednesday detailed the University of Tennessee’s struggles with quarterback Nico Iamaleava and its search for a replacement, while also highlighting Kansas State’s efforts to prevent its rising star, Avery Johnson, from being poached.
Johnson, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and the current face of the Kansas State Wildcats program, drew attention on social media after Iamaleava entered the transfer portal following an unsuccessful contract negotiation with Tennessee.
According to the report, Tennessee "inquired with the agents of several Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC starting quarterbacks," including Kansas State’s Avery Johnson, to explore the possibility of one entering the portal.
The article notes that Johnson—along with several others—was already locked into a seven-figure NIL deal with his current program and ultimately couldn’t be lured away.
“We got a damn wall built around him,” a Kansas State source told ESPN. “They better bring the Tennessee National Guard.”
A Kansas native and longtime Wildcats fan, Johnson’s decision to attend K-State came from a deep connection to the program—unlike Iamaleava, a Long Beach, California native, whose choice may have been more business-oriented.
Iamaleava, a four-star recruit, was part of the same recruiting class as Kansas State’s Johnson.
Tennessee eventually found a successor in UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar, after Iamaleava transferred to UCLA—prompting Aguilar to seek a new opportunity.
Of the eight quarterbacks ranked above Avery Johnson in the 2023 recruiting class, only two—Arch Manning of Texas and Christopher Vizzina of Clemson—remain with their original schools. In the era of the transfer portal, loyalty still clearly matters.
And while the quarterback carousel continues across the country, Kansas State appears to have once again secured its most important piece — for now.
Last season, Kansas State finished 9–4 overall and 5–4 in conference play, despite being named a preseason favorite. They defeated Rutgers 44–41 in their bowl game on Dec. 26. The Wildcats will open the 2025 season against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland.
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