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Kansas State adds MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson

On3 imageby:Drew Galloway•04/20/25•

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nate johnson

Kansas State has added another player from the transfer portal. Akron guard Nate Johnson has committed to K-State.

Like most transfer portal recruitments, Johnson’s recruitment came in the dark and was very quick. The guard entered the transfer portal on April 17 and worked quickly to find a new home. Kentucky, Kansas, and Indiana were among others involved for the Ohio native.

Johnson is one of the more accomplished transfers Kansas State has landed in the Jerome Tang era. The Ohio native was a do-everything guard for Akron this season, averaging 14 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 44% from the floor and 30% from three. For his work this season, Johnson was named MAC Player of the Year, MAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-MAC First Team, All-MAC Defensive Team, and MAC Tournament MVP.

The Ohio native is known for his defensive prowess. However, he can also really fill it up. Johnson scored in double figures 26 times this season, including 13 games of 15 points or more. His career high of 31 points came in the MAC Tournament semifinals versus Toledo, scoring 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting including 3-for-4 from three, and also added six assists and five rebounds. The MAC Tournament was very good to Johnson as he also hit the game-winning basket to get the Zips into the NCAA Tournament in the win over Miami (Ohio) while finishing the game with 22 points. In the NCAA Tournament versus Arizona, Johnson scored 13 points.

As a sophomore in 2023, the guard averaged 7.3 points per game in 24 games for the Zips while playing 23.7 minutes per game while adding 3.3 rebounds and 1.63 assists per game. In his redshirt freshman season in 2022, he averaged 4.5 points per game along with 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists.

Overall, Johnson is commitment No. 5 for Kansas State in the 2025 class. He joins a class of fellow transfers Tyreek Smith, Abdi Bashir and Khamari McGriff along with high schooler Exavier Wilson.

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