Kansas State QB Avery Johnson Offers First Comments Upon Arrival At Rate Bowl
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is set to play in his second bowl game.
The Wildcats play Rutgers Thursday in the Rate Bowl in Tucson, Ariz. The team arrived Monday.
"I'm excited, ready to play, man," Johnson said. "Excited to be down here. It's going to be fun."
“I’m excited. Ready to play, man!”
— Rate Bowl (@RateBowl) December 23, 2024
~ K-State QB @avery2johnson pic.twitter.com/neSp3yuSO8
Last year Johnson led the Wildcats to victory against North Carolina State in the Pop Tarts Bowl.
"Rutgers is a really physical team but I feel like we've prepared pretty well," Johnson said. "Just excited to put some more film on tape."
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HARTMAN ON THE BALLOT
Former Kansas State coach Jack Hartman is on this year's ballot for nomination into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 16 seasons, Hartman led the Wildcats to 295 wins and nine postseason apperances. He won three Big Eight titles and two Big Eight Tournaments titles. He is the winniest coach in school history.
WILDCATS LAND DB IN PORTAL
The Kansas State Wildcats remained active in the transfer portal.
On Monday, they received a commitment from Arizona defensive back Gunnar Maldonado. This marks his third different school. He began at Northwestern.
Maldonado has 173 tackles and four interceptions during his five-year career. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school.
SPIVEY FINDS A NEW HOME
Former Kansas State wide receiver Tre Spivey will be suited up for another Big 12 team next season.
Spivey has transferred to the Arizona Wildcats after receiving offers from many schools, including BYU, Iowa State, and Wisconsin. Utah fans were also antsy about getting the receiver after he narrowed his choices to three schools via social media.
The Arizona native played all 12 games last season for K-State, compiling 14 receptions for 160 yards and one touchdown. He is joining a Wildcats (Arizona) team that finished 14th in the Big 12 last season.
Meanwhile, Kansas State has made acquisitions to compromise for losing three of their top five receivers. They added Jerand Bradley from Boston College and Jaron Tibbs from Purdue. Coach Chris Klieman spoke about balancing the transfer portal and Rate Bowl preparation.
"It's 20 out of 24 hours a day, and the other four you get a quick nap in," Klieman said Friday afternoon. "For me, it's 70 percent trying to continue to build the roster. Then the other 30 percent is working on Rutgers, being around the players and stuff... That's the challenge that everyone's facing."
KANSAS STATE O-LINE COACH CONOR RILEY WELCOMES FORMER USC LINEMAN AMOS TALALELE
Kansas State added another solid player right before the transfer portal closes.
The latest addition was USC lineman Amos Talalele, who signed with the Wildcats this past weekend. Offensive line coach Conor Riley embraced the new lineman, tweeting a Samoan term to the 2023 Polynesian Bowl All-Star.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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