MANHATTAN — Kansas State may be without quarterback Avery Johnson when it travels to Arizona State this weekend.
Johnson was listed as questionable on the Wildcats' availability report on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Kansas State plays Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2:45 p.m. CT in Tempe, Arizona.
It's unclear what Johnson is dealing with. He left the Wildcats' win over Kansas early in the first quarter on Oct. 17 for one play, but returned for the rest of the game with no apparent injury.
If Johnson can't play, one of K-State's three backups would make their first career start. The Wildcats have dealt with injuries to their backup quarterbacks throughout the season.
Fifth-year QB Jacob Knuth could be the next man up, unless the team opts to start sophomore Dillon Duff. The Wildcats used Blake Barnett in different running packages at quarterback last year, but he's been out since K-State's Week 1 win over Nicholls. Barnett is listed as questionable.
Here's a look at the Wildcats' backup options.
Jacob Knuth
Knuth is a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder who has been with the Wildcats for the last three seasons after starting his career at Minnesota.
Knuth has played 17 snaps this season, with 10 in Week 1 against Nicholls, six against Washington State and one against Kansas. Against the Jayhawks, he handed the ball off to Rodney Fields, who ran for a four-yard touchdown before Johnson returned the next series.
In 2025, Knuth saw snaps in reserve against Kansas and Texas Tech. He ran the ball twice for 45 yards, which included a 40-yard run against the Jayhawks. In 2024, he appeared against UT Martin and BYU.
Knuth has completed 3 of 3 passes for 25 yards in his career, along with 10 rushes for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Knuth didn't play in his one year at Minnesota. He was a three-star prospect and the No. 1 player in South Dakota's 2022 class.
Dillon Duff
Duff may be a bit of a wildcard. The sophomore impressed throughout fall camp, but an injury hindered his chances at winning the backup quarterback job.
Duff missed the Wildcats' first three games and, until this week, has been listed on K-State's injury report each week since Big 12 play began. He's dressed in recent weeks but hasn't been used. It's unclear how limited he may be, or whether he can play at all.
He's also the only quarterback with no college experience. Listed at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Duff didn't play a snap last year and was a three-star in the 2025 class out of De Smet in St. Louis. He led his team to a state championship as a senior.
Blake Barnett
Barnett has been consistently seen on crutches since the Wildcats' Week 1 win over Nicholls. In that game, he was 4-for-5 for 41 yards and rushed twice for three yards.
Barnett is listed as questionable for Arizona State.
Last season, Barnett was used in running packages as a power runner behind center. He finished the year with 14 carries for 40 yards across four appearances. The junior didn't play in 2024.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Avery Johnson injury update: Kansas State QB options at Arizona State