When Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman took the podium at Big 12 Media Days, he didn’t need any video or highlight reel to underscore Avery Johnson’s progress this offseason. Instead, he just went for one number. 17 pounds. That’s how much lean muscle the Wildcats quarterback has packed on this offseason, and Klieman couldn’t hide his satisfaction.
When asked about what changes they will see in Johnson this season, Klieman said, “I think the biggest thing is how he looks. He’s put on probably 17 pounds of lean muscle mass. He’s filled out. He’s not a sophomore anymore. He’s an upperclassman; he’s a junior. So his body has matured. He’s taken everything very seriously in the weight room, in the nutrition, in the recovery aspect.” For Johnson, this transformation is performance-oriented. “He’s carrying a lot more weight, and he’s faster,” Klieman continued. “That’s something we stress: get bigger, stronger, and also be faster. He’s done that.” And while other quarterbacks are putting in work too, Johnson’s leap stands out in stark contrast.
Just ask Sam Leavitt. The Sun Devils quarterback also added weight this offseason, seven pounds to be exact. However, as he detailed during media day, it was a calculated and incremental build. “You always try to put on as much weight as you can until it diminishes your athleticism,” Leavitt explained. “Every offseason, I work through a plan with Coach Joe [Connolly] and CC. Early on, it’s about putting on muscle, eating more, and now it’s a lot of power movements and getting lean.” That’s dedication, no doubt, but it also highlights how massive Johnson’s 17-pound gain is by comparison.
Shake-up in the trenches
Kansas State’s offensive line room looks a lot different heading into 2025, and Chris Klieman didn’t shy away from the big update. Mason Voth, the Wildcats’ head coach, revealed at Big 12 Media Days that Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick has “risen to the top of the depth chart at left tackle.” That’s a major leap for a player who just arrived in Manhattan this spring, and it signals that Fitzpatrick is likely to anchor the blind side in Week 1.
Chris Klieman says that George Fitzpatrick has risen to the top of the depth chart at left tackle
— Mason Voth (@TheRealMasonV) July 8, 2025
Klieman highlighted returning centerpiece Sam Hecht at center, calling him “one of the best in the league”, while giving credit to veterans Taylor Poitier and Andrew Leingang for their leadership and experience. But while the returning core holds the line steady, it’s the influx of four transfer linemen that’s giving the Wildcats a unique kind of flexibility. Klieman admitted, “We’re excited to see [the other three transfers] this fall and this summer so we can figure out where they can fit in and how much they are gonna help us—because they are gonna help us.”
Another name worth watching? John Pastore. A year ago, he was penciled in as a rotation or even starting tackle before missing the entire 2024 season. Now, fully healthy and tipping the scales at over 300 pounds, the 6-foot-6 lineman is back in the mix. With more bodies and more depth, Klieman expects to “play more on the offensive line than we have in the past,” but the key, he says, is chemistry. “We need to practice those guys all together and have that chemistry together,” he concluded. That’s something they’ll aim to build fast as fall camp approaches.
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