Player commitment is essential for Kansas State’s Avery Johnson

The transfer portal leaves uncertainty with star players coming and going.

But Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson focuses only on those who contribute to his team.

“If you want to be here, stay, but if you don’t want to be here, we’ll find someone who will,” Johnson said prior to Thursday night’s Rate Bowl. “I think that’s the biggest thing today in college football.”

Over the past month, the Wildcats have lost many players to the portal. Top wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Jayce Brown as well as star tackle Carver Willis were notable losses.

Despite the losses, Johnson said he’d rather have players focused on taking advantage of K-State.

“At the end of the day, wherever you are, work is still work,” Johnson said. “You have to put in the work, you have to love the game and at the end of the day it will reward you. Obviously we want all the talented players and stuff to be here. But if you don’t really want to be here and you ” we’re not here for the right reasons, we’re better off without you.”

Johnson and the Wildcats face the Scarlet Knights in Phoenix at 5:30 p.m. Johnson’s last bowl start was a 28-19 win over North Carolina State last year. He went 14-of-31 for 178 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 71 yards and another score on the ground.

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a Kansas State Wildcats contributor on SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.