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Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson’s availability for Saturday’s matchup against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, is now in serious doubt.
The 21-year-old was initially listed as questionable on Wednesday before retaining that designation over the following two days. The Wildcats subsequently moved him to doubtful on Friday’s availability report, leaving backup Jacob Knuth as a potential starter versus the Sun Devils.
Johnson’s injury concerns emerged during Kansas State’s Week 7 win over Kansas. Johnson took a hard fall at the end of a 59-yard run early in the first quarter and remained on the ground for several minutes while receiving attention from the team’s medical staff. He missed only one play before returning to the game and finishing without any obvious limitations.
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Johnson later completed 14 of 24 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown while adding 132 rushing yards against the Jayhawks. He also alluded to shoulder soreness during his postgame interview.
The senior has started 32 consecutive games for the Wildcats and has accounted for all but six of the team’s 193 pass attempts through six games. He has accumulated 1,763 total yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 63.1% of his passes, with three interceptions.
If Johnson cannot play, Knuth could receive his first big opportunity to lead Kansas State’e offense. The fifth-year quarterback has appeared in three games this season versus Nicholls, Washington State and Kansas. This season, Knuth has completed one pass for seven yards and added 25 rushing yards and a touchdown on three carries.
The Wildcats could also consider sophomore Dillon Duff, who is listed alongside Knuth as a backup quarterback. Duff has yet to play this season and has appeared on injury reports since Kansas State’s loss to Cincinnati in Week 4. Meanwhile, Blake Barnett has been out since the season opener against Nicholls while recovering from a lower-body injury that has required crutches.
The Wildcats could also use Rodney Fields or Joe Jackson for direct snaps in a wildcat formation. Fields scored a four-yard touchdown on the play Johnson missed versus Kansas.
Kansas State is slated to release its final availability report approximately 90 minutes before the scheduled 3:45 p.m. ET kickoff.
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