By: D. Scott Fritchen
Matt Wells, in his first news conference since his promotion to Kansas State offensive coordinator, lauded junior quarterback Avery Johnson for his leadership in spring practice while also outlining some of his ideas for an offense that will get its first test in four months.
K-State and Iowa State — each projected to be ranked in the Top 25 — will meet on August 23 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.
“The mindset is we want to continue to be physical and run the ball,” Wells said on Wednesday. “You have to run the ball late in the year, late in the game, so that’s always the mindset — a physicality, which is the Powercat, that’s K-State, and that’s who this program has been for a long time. We want that.
“We’re aggressive, taking shots and using weapons that we have and are trying to use them to the best of their ability as a coach and give kids opportunities to make plays down the field. Everybody wants to be involved and get touches. Our job as a play-caller and as a staff that’s calling plays and designing plays is to get the ball into the hands of those guys.”
Wells enters his second season at K-State and also serves as associate head coach and quarterbacks coach. Last season, he served as co-offensive coordinator with offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Conor Riley, who was hired by the Dallas Cowboys in early February.
K-State ranked top 15 nationally in four offensive categories in 2024, including second in rushing yards per carry (6.08) and 11th in rushing yards per game (215.5). K-State also ranked in the top 10 in school history in 15 game or season categories with Johnson under center. Johnson was one of three Power 4 quarterbacks to record 2,700 passing yards and 600 rushing yards. He was also one of nine quarterbacks with at least 25 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns.
Johnson completed 58.3% of his passes (217-of-372) for 2,712 yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a team that went 9-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 Conference and finished with a 44-41 win over Rutgers in the Rate Bowl.
“Everything he can do expands what we do,” Wells said. “The more Avery grows and learns and develops the more we do, too, and, man, I’ve been so proud of him for the past four months. He’s grown — his leadership and maturity and football knowledge and specific knowledge of this system, and maybe even some new things and maybe some old things, and all of that combined.
“Man, he’s been awesome the last few months.”
For a sixth-straight season, K-State returns more than 45 letterwinners, including 20 on offense in 2025. The Wildcats return 51.1% of their production in the running game, 55.2% of their production in the receiving game, 43.1% of their total starts (28 of 65) on the offensive line, and 57.9% of their scoring production.
Several newcomers have captured Wells’ attention.
“George Fitzpatrick and Amos Talalele up front, I’m excited about both of those guys,” Wells said. “They’ve had good springs and fit in well here in their roles. Jerand Bradley and Jaron Tibbs. Jemyri Davis is twitchy and he’s explosive and continues to find his way in this offense in a role for him. Tibbs and JB give us a big presence out on the edge, a physical presence, athletic, physical blockers, good route runners. When you think about new guys, those are some of the new pieces that we have on offense, and I like all those guys.”
Meanwhile, proven playmakers such as running backs Dylan Edwards and Joe Jackson, wide receiver Jayce Brown, and tight ends Garrett Oakley and Brayden Loftin also surround Johnson as he prepares for his second year as a full-time starter.
In addition to coaching quarterbacks during his 27-year coaching career, Wells has also spent time tutoring wide receivers and tight ends. Wells boasts nine years of head coaching experience and came to K-State after two years at Oklahoma as advisor to the head coach/offensive analyst. Prior to that, he served as the head coach at his alma mater, Utah State, from 2013-18 and at Texas Tech from 2019-21.
Wells carries high aspirations for the K-State offense in the fall.
“I like fast,” Wells said. “I like the physical guys up front, but, man, when you throw the ball, it’s matchups. Let’s be real. If it’s zone, at some point, it becomes man-to-man, and if you’re playing man, it’s like, ‘I got you and can I beat you on a route.’ Can you scheme up the right combos for those guys? You can’t coach speed. That’s the old cliché, but it’s real.
“Dylan Edwards with what he can do in space and Joe Jackson, you saw the combination with those guys in the bowl game, and they’re athletic and you have to get them the ball in space. They’ve got to have enough targets because guys can take them away. It’s like in the passing game — ‘Can I get him the ball?’ Well, ‘him,’ needs to be the first, second or third option. Avery can get to four and five in some reads and the fourth or fifth guy could be Jaron Tibbs on the backside with the running back on the backside. Sometimes that’s actually hard to dictate where guys are getting the ball in the passing game. It’s taking what the defense gives you. All those guys give you weapons on the perimeter.”
Wells’ highest-regarded quarterback was Jordan Love at Utah State. The current Green Bay Packers quarterback accounted for 9,003 yards of total offense in his college career, including 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018.
Wells applauds Johnson for his hard work.
“Specific things we’re working on, it’s pocket movement and pocket presence and his footwork and base and deep ball. Those are things that come to mind right now,” Wells said. “There’s also a leadership component that I’ve seen grow in him naturally over the year. Sometimes people just want to give the quarterback position all this leadership – and certainly there is a leadership platform that comes with the quarterback position – but you have to grow into that naturally. He was willing to do that. I wanted him to just play well last year and let his play speak for itself and let that create the platform. I do think there’s a factor of leadership in his performance. You have to perform to lead. Not all performers can lead but leaders struggle or have a ceiling if they don’t perform well enough or consistently enough. That’s a key component. He’s got a checkmark there in a lot of ways.
“I appreciate and respect the way he’s gone about just letting it naturally progress with our team and offensive unit. It’s been really good. You’d be hard pressed to find anybody who works any harder than him in our building, whether it’s in the film room or doing extra physically. Those players in the locker room know that. We certainly need other leaders around him, and we have other leaders around him. He’s not the only one who can lead or will lead. We need others. But I’m proud of him for that growth. He’s made a lot of strides in that area.”
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