Kansas State football is heading into the 2024 season with elevated expectations as Chris Klieman is now in his sixth year leading the program.
The Wildcats are fresh off a 9-4 season where they went 6-3 in conference play and made the Pop-Tarts Bowl, beating NC State and enjoying a massive Pop-Tart after the victory.
Will Howard is gone and he's replaced by Avery Johnson who flashed his elite athleticism and bright future in that bowl game in his place. He's going to be the starter this season and he's a major reason that the expectations are still "Big 12 or bust" despite moving on from Howard.
With that said, which Wildcats will break out this season and potentially help lead the program to a title?
3. Chiddi Obiazor, DE
Besides having one of the best names on the team, Chiddi Obiazor was also busy proving himself on the field all spring long. He took full advantage of the strength and conditioning staff, going from a solid frame to a monstrous 6-foot-6, 267-pound defensive end in just one year in the program.
And he's already going to be pushing veteran defensive end (also a great name) Cody Stufflebean for the starting job to begin the season.
While Stufflebean may win the job because he's a veteran and he's been in the system longer, I wouldn't be surprised to see Obiazor take over partway through the year because he's just too big and talented to leave on the bench. His frame, strength, and potential make him a legitimate All-Big 12 candidate at defensive end.
If I had to choose one defender to break out this year, it would be the redshirt freshman Obiazor.
2. Keagan Johnson, WR
I had a hard time choosing between Keagan Johnson and tight end Garrett Oakley for this spot, but I ultimately went with the guy who I believe has the slightly higher ceiling.
Johnson, a Nebraska native, committed to Iowa out of high school which was rather surprising given the fact that the Hawkeyes weren't exactly known for passing the ball and their offense was one of the worst in the country. But maybe the staff sold him on potentially changing that through him.
And it worked.
As a true freshman in 2021, Johnson had 18 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns. He was one of the most explosive players on Iowa and he probably deserved more opportunities. As a sophomore, he missed most of the season and had two catches in two games for 11 yards. He hit the transfer portal shortly after.
With Kansas State in 2023, the former four-star recruit caught a career-high 24 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, showing he could be more than just a home run threat. And he's just getting started. The best is still in front of him and with a starting job essentially locked up, he's going to put up some big numbers in this offense with a new quarterback.
Buy all the stock in Keagan Johnson now.
1. Avery Johnson, QB
Surprised to see Avery Johnson here? Well, you might be the only person in the world who is even slightly shocked by this. He's going to be the top breakout candidate for Kansas State seven days a week and twice on Sundays. Johnson is that special of a player.
As a high school recruit, Johnson was ranked in the top 100 and he was the ninth-best quarterback in the 2023 class. The hype surrounding him was immeasurable.
Fans wanted to see him early and often despite Will Howard manning the offense and he still got a chance to play in eight games, passing for 479 yards and five touchdowns with a 56 percent completion rate while also rushing for 296 yards and seven more scores. He accounted for 12 touchdowns as a true freshman backup quarterback. Wild stuff.
Now that Howard is gone, the former blue-chip prospect is taking over and the sky seems to be the limit for him at quarterback. He's going to be one of the top breakout candidates in the country.
While he might go through some growing pains early on, I would not be shocked to see him as one of the top 2-3 quarterbacks in the conference by the end of the season and a legit first-team All-Big 12 candidate. I'm excited to watch this dude play.