With quarterback Avery Johnson on the way out, Kansas State needs to start thinking about its next long-term signal-caller. The roster currently boasts three on the active roster, and one incoming prospect to give the team options.
According to coach Collin Klein, though, the program hasn't gotten that much closer to making that decision.
"There hasn’t been a guy that’s taken it yet," Klein said in his second spring ball presser. "If you made a decision on a different day, you've probably made three different decisions in the course of 10 days. That’s a credit to what good competition is. I think they’re all getting better and improving. They have different strengths and weaknesses that we have to factor in as a staff to try positioning them to be their best. But it’s gonna continue into the fall, just because there hasn’t been that guy rise and take it yet."
Regardless, it's good for Kansas State fans to know who could be the next man leading the offense. Here are the candidates:
Blake Barnett, Sophomore
The only candidate who's gotten some relative play on the field, Barnett was utilized like a Taysom Hill, Swiss Army Knife type of quarterback. He rushed 14 times for 40 yards, usually appearing in short-yardage situations. His breakout performance was against UCF, where he rushed five times for 23 yards. Barnett went to Erie High School in Erie, CO.
Dillon Duff, Redshirt Freshman
Duff is based out of St. Louis, MO, graduating from De Smet Jesuit High School in 2025. He threw for 2,735 and 26 touchdowns in his senior campaign, rushing for 666 yards and six touchdowns as well.
Jacob Knuth, Senior
Knuth got a few snaps in his years at Kansas State, rushing four times. He is based out of Sioux Falls, S.D., where he attended Harrisburg High School. Knuth threw for 18 yards and ran for 18 more in 2024. He got some action against Kansas last season, rushing twice for 45 yards, including a 40-yarder to ice the Sunflower Showdown victory.
Cam Kruse, High School Junior
Kruse committed to the Wildcats on Tuesday, adding his name to the position depth. Kruse is based out of Franklin, TN. He also received offers from Miami, West Virginia, and Iowa State, among others. Last season, Kruse threw for 2,264 yards, 35 touchdowns, and three interceptions, completing 73 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 376 yards and six scores on the ground.
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