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Of course it came back around. All it took was Chris Klieman to admit it, and open yet another window to the absurdity of the now transactional sport of college football. Fortunately for Kansas State, star quarterback Avery Johnson didn’t bite at NIL offers from bigger schools. 

Because pushing out a championship starting quarterback last year for his potentially rare backup, only to have the potentially rare quarterback leave a year later, would’ve been peak transfer portal nonsense. 

Instead, there was Johnson, representing K-State at Big 12 Media Days, setting lofty goals for Year 2 as a starter. And maybe finally reaching those Johnny Manziel comparisons.

“I can’t wait for the season to begin,” Johnson said Tuesday, July 8 at Big 12 Media Days. “We’re shooting for a Big 12 championship. Anything else would be a letdown.”

And speaking of letdowns, get a lot of this drama: It was prior to last season when Klieman – one of two coaches in school history to win a conference championship in the modern era – gambled on Johnson by placing the program in his hands.

Will Howard had one season of eligibility remaining, and was a year removed from leading K-State to its first Big 12 championship since 2012. He and Klieman met, and they decided maybe both needed a fresh start.

Johnson led K-State to nine wins in 2024, and had the Wildcats in the College Football Playoff hunt until the last week of the regular season. 

Howard led Ohio State to the national championship.

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In a not so surprising twist of irony, when the offseason arrived, guess who was fielding transfer opportunities from major Power conference teams? That would be Johnson — the same quarterback Klieman elevated over Howard in 2024 to prevent Johnson from leaving for the transfer portal in the first place.

Look, it’s a business now. A crazy, unbridled mess of a business. “But he likes it here,” Klieman said of Johnson, who threw 25 touchdown passes in 2024, and rushed for more than 600 yards in his first season as a starter.Really, he does. Johnson grew up in Wichita, about two hours south of the campus in Manhattan. He knows Kansas, he has lived Kansas. More important: Kansas loves him. Johnson has an impressive NIL portfolio, which recently added deals with CVS and a regional telecommunications provider. This on the heels of a deal last year with a local car dealership, which paved the way for him to drive around Manhattan in a lavender Corvette Stingray and black Mercedes AMG GT. Not only that, you, too, can swig Johnson’s favorite drink (strawberry lemonade) thanks to an NIL deal with a local drink manufacturer. So yeah, life is good in Kansas. Now it’s time to make it even better on the field. 

Johnson says he has gained “10-12 pounds” in the offseason, has built strength and hasn’t lost what makes him so dangerous: speed and dynamic athleticism. 

He says the game moves slower now, and Klieman added more pieces around Johnson with key transfer portal additions to further develop the pass game. Three of K-State’s top four receivers arrived this offseason from other schools.

“The best supporting cast I could ask for,” Johnson said. “It’s a different feeling now. I’m so much farther ahead of where I was at this time last year.”

Last month, Johnson was invited to the Manning Passing Academy, an invitation typically reserved for the elite of the game. He roomed with Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) and Austin Simmons (Mississippi).

“An SEC room,” Johnson joked. 

Who knows just how close he came to joining that conference, and competing in the quarterback-heavy league. How close K-State went from experiencing both sides of transfer portal turnover at the most important position on the field. 

From a difficult choice one year, to a difficult departure the next. From learning on the job one season, to improving his completion percentage, and making better decisions post snap.

He understands the position and the concepts. Now it’s all about refining his game, and reaching the massive expectations coming out of high school.  

“I love this team, I love the chemistry we’re building,” Johnson said. “Everybody should be excited.”

Because Johnson didn’t bite — and allow what goes around to come back around. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

On Tuesday morning, Venmo/PayPal announced its partnership with the Big 12, and TCU guard Olivia Miles was among the three student-athlete brand ambassadors along with Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady.

The Big 12 and school-branded Venmo Debit Mastercards will allow students and fans from participating schools to access ticket giveaways and other events and perks. Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, and West Virginia will all have team-branded Venmo debit cards. The cards will be available for access beginning on August 11, with the physical cards scheduled to ship in September.

Miles, the Horned Frogs’ prized possession out of the portal and former Notre Dame basketball star, decided to forgo the WNBA Draft and transfer to TCU in large part because of the financial opportunities that exist in the new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era.

“Partnering with Venmo allows me to take more ownership of my financial journey as a student-athlete,” said Miles. “With the TCU Venmo Debit Card, I can spend my NIL earnings in so many ways – whether it’s helping to cover travel to support my family, giving back to the community, or just handling everyday essentials like groceries and training meals. What makes this partnership even more special is being able to share what I’ve learned about the Venmo Debit Card benefits and financial responsibility to guide the next generation of student-athletes.”

In 2024 with the Fighting Irish, Miles averaged a career-high 15.4 points per game, shooting 48.3% from the field, 40% from three-point range and 79% from the free throw line. She also added 5.6 rebounds per game, 5.8 assists per game and 1.4 steals per game. In 2023, Miles set career highs in both rebounds and assists per game with 7.3 and 6.9 respectively.

KillerFrogs.com talked to Olivia Miles on Tuesday afternoon, discussing her deal with Venmo and her decision to transfer to TCU.

Q: Olivia, how did you first get involved with PayPal?

A: I first got involved when I was in middle school, traveling a lot with basketball tournaments. I needed ways to buy Gatorade and snacks or whatever it may be, so I used it ever since I was young.

Q: What does it mean to be able to represent those national brands as well as a national brand like TCU?

A: I mean it’s incredible. NIL has gifted us so many oppurtunities with this one being one of them. It’s just incredible to partner with such a well known brand that does such great work in the communitiy and aligns with my beliefs and my values. Sam’s a great ambassador as well so I’m excited to work with him?

Q: Has your usage of Venmo changed with this deal at all?

A: No, it’s been pretty consistent. I use it at least a few times a week to do some transactions. With this deal they’ll be sending a few of my NIL payments through Venmo so it will be cool to use it that way. I’ve never used it that way actually. I’m excited to learn a new way to use the system.

Q: They mentioned earlier today that there would be an app where athletes can moniter their NIL brand? Have you gotten any word on that?

A: I haven’t but I do hear it’s in the works. I’m excited for new developments like that and hopefully I can work with them on that a little bit.

Q: What does it mean to have an app like for the financial literacy of all student-athletes?

A: It’s incredible. NIL can get very confusing especially when you’re getting a lot of deals or you’re trying to build your brand. Keeping up with it can be pretty tough so having an app where your brand is centralized will be really helpful for athletes to not get confused or lost and to keep their brand in one place.

Q: Women’s basketball, especially recently, has been a sport where there have been a couple of teams at the top dominating. What gives TCU the potential to enter that realm, and how do you think TCU does that?

A: I think with the increase in NIL oppurtunites and revenue sharing, it allows the not traditional schools like TCU to compete with the traditionally big schools like UCONN and Tennessee or whoever it may be. So it kind of levels the playing field. It allows for schools to compete with whoever they want in this day in age.

Q: What have your first impressions been of Mark Campbell?

A: My first impressions were when I was younger in high school when he recruited me to Oregon. But my first impressions of him here are amazing. He was just with me in Chile when we won gold. He’s a very supportive coach, father husband and he’s a great role model for us. He empowers young women and I love that.

Q: This year, TCU is going to have three players that are 6-foot-7 or taller, making you guys the tallest group in the country. How easy does that make your job in terms of finding them and opening up the court?

A: As long as they can set screens and catch the ball, it’s gonna make my job really, really easy. I’m excited to play with such great players. Mark did a great job recruiting players that make sense in our system and players that make sense with the players around us. You can’t teach height. We’re just excited to have such great targets on our team.

Follow KillerFrogs on X to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well.

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Former Missouri Tigers point guard Sean East III is making a name for himself in the Canadian Summer League. The former Tiger is averaging 24.4 points, 5.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in his short time there.

East is also shooting 57.7% from the field and 51.9% from the perimeter. These are beyond impressive numbers for the veteran guard, and it’s all through 15-game appearances.

The Louisville, Kentucky, native spent two years with the Tigers, averaging 17.6 points per game on 52.1% shooting in the final season of his college career. He also averaged four assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He averaged 7.6 points per game in his first season in Columbia.

East was the star of the 2023-24 Tigers roster, despite it being a severe down year. He showed why he could have the potential to make an NBA roster during that time and is proving it even more overseas.

The NIL and money scene in college athletics is still as hectic as ever, according to a Yahoo Sports report:

50 days.

“Back then, [recruiting] felt a lot more personal, especially with the phone calls. Nowadays kids can contact coaches and universities through social media. [Being] recruited is a special time, because it’s not very often you have schools and colleges trying to sell themselves to you. I just tell them to enjoy the process, be present and make the best decision for you.”

– Jeremy Maclin