Maize QB Avery Johnson’s busy June recruiting schedule will start at Kansas State
Avery Johnson is such a talented athlete that he plays three different sports at Maize High School, and he could probably earn a college scholarship in all of them. But he has always loved football more than baseball and basketball, so that is where he focuses his efforts whenever he thinks about his future.
Lately, college coaches have validated that decision.
“I’ve always wanted to be a college quarterback and eventually play in the NFL,” Johnson said. “I’m starting to get some recognition. My recruitment is starting to blow up a little bit right now.”
Indeed, the past few weeks have been a recruiting whirlwind for Johnson. The 6-foot-3 and 170-pound sophomore quarterback has recently picked up scholarship offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and TCU. But things are about to get even more hectic. Those offers all came during a lengthy dead period in which college teams weren’t allowed to host him on campus for unofficial visits or watch him compete at summer camps.
That will all change on June 1. That’s the day college recruiting will start getting back to normal. It’s also the day Johnson’s recruitment will take off like it is powered by a hyper drive.
Johnson will visit campuses all across the country next month. He plans to begin the process by taking an unofficial visit to K-State on June 1 along with Derby running back Dylan Edwards and a few other in-state recruits. Then he is scheduled to visit camps with some of his seven-on-seven teammates that include Florida State, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Houston, Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arkansas.
“It’s super exciting,” Johnson said. “I’m getting out and going to see K-State first. Then I’ve got a camp tour where I will be hitting about 12 different colleges in 14 days. So that is all going to be a fun experience. I can’t wait to get down and start seeing some of these schools and meet some of these coaches, because if I don’t have a good relationship with the head coach then I’m not going to want to go to that school.”
Johnson’s father, Mark, is hopeful that Johnson will pick up more scholarship offers during those visits. Florida State is currently showing the most interest of any school that hasn’t extended an offer, and if things go well while Johnson is in Tallahassee on June 5 he is optimistic the Seminoles will pull the trigger.
Though Johnson put up good enough numbers (117 of 207 for 2,109 yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 10 rushing touchdowns) as a sophomore to earn a four-star rating from 247sports and become one of the state’s most prized prospects of the 2023 recruiting class, many college coaches like to watch high school quarterbacks up close and interact with them in-person before offering a scholarship.
The month of June will provide valuable exposure.
Johnson could thrive in that setting, as he is an excellent student and comfortable during interviews. He claims to have a 4.125 GPA.
“I’ve never gotten a B in my life,” he said. “I have gotten a few A-minuses, but that’s it. My parents made it very clear to me that if I’m not getting it done in the classroom then I’m not going to get to where I want to be in life. No school wants to have a dumb quarterback, because they’re basically handing their program over to you. I feel like having a 4.0 lets colleges know I’m a smart guy.”
Brian Butler, who has helped train Johnson since elementary school, thinks Johnson will blow college coaches away. He boldly says Johnson is at the same level as other high-profile Wichita recruits he has mentored such as Arthur Brown, Bryce Brown and Chris Harper.
“I think he’s got a chance to be the biggest recruit in Kansas history,” Butler said. “His desire to win is second to none. I see it in every single workout.”
Still, there is a reason Johnson wants to visit K-State before exploring other far away options.
“K-State is big on trying to start their new program around in-state guys,” Johnson said. “So me and a couple other in-state guys are going to go down and see them on June 1. I just think the coaches have been really cool to me whenever we talk on the phone. They always try to stay updated on my Twitter and want to see what’s really going on in my life. I can’t wait to get there.”
It doesn’t hurt that Johnson’s grandfather is also a die-hard Wildcats fan.
“He bleeds purple,” Johnson’s father, Mark, said. “There’s a reason K-State is up first. We are obviously from Kansas and we love Kansas. I have been here my whole life and my whole family is here. His sister plays softball at Wichita State. People may not look at K-State as a powerhouse, but there is opportunity there. They reached out to my son and have been great about talking to him. K-State checks all of the boxes and we feel like we owe it to them to give them the first look.”
Johnson’s father said they will also happily take an unofficial visit to KU if the Jayhawks invite him to campus.
Ideally, Johnson would like to decide on a college after his junior season.
Until then, he will finish out baseball season at Maize and then experience what it’s like to be a touted football recruit.