Big news came out of Manhattan on Thursday with Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson announcing his return to the program for the 2024 season.

The true freshman appeared in seven games for the Wildcats this past season, accounting for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the passing game along with 225 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Along with his announcement to return to the program, Johnson also revealed that he’ll be sporting a different jersey number next season, announcing his switch from No. 5 to No. 2 which can be seen from a video that Kansas State released on Twitter below.

Mission hasn’t changed@avery2johnson pic.twitter.com/aoavAwKp4Y

— K-State Football (@KStateFB) December 7, 2023

“For me, it’s never been just a number. It’s a mentality, an attitude, it’s a tradition. And although my number changed, our mission hasn’t,” Johnson said.

Johnson switches to his No. 2 jersey number that he sported at Maize High School in Kansas where he was a four-star prospect ranked the No. 9 quarterback in the nation for the 2023 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He made the most of his playing time in his true freshman season with the Wildcats, most notably with a breakout performance versus Texas Tech in Week 7 when he rushed for five touchdowns.

Kansas State’s starting quarterback Will Howard entered the transfer portal this offseason, making Johnson the next in line to start under center for the Wildcats in their bowl game and the favorite to win the job in the 2024 season. But with K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein taking the same job with Texas A&M this offseason, many specualted and wondered if Johnson would join him in College Station through the transfer portal.

Johnson put all those rumors to bed with his announcement on Thursday, as he’ll likely start for K-State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State on December 28.

More on the 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.

Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.

The three-day event will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility.

Last season, 69 players were granted special eligibility for the 2023 NFL Draft. 13 underclassmen who had completed their college degrees were also deemed eligible to be selected.

The deadline to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft is on January 15. NFL teams will receive a full list of eligible players in the class on January 19.