Kansas State offensive coordinator Matt Wells paused briefly when asked if there was a comparison for quarterback Avery Johnson.

It's not because he didn't have an answer, but because he hadn't thought about it.

Wells might be entering his first season as K-State's play caller, but he's no stranger to top-level quarterbacks. As Utah State's offensive coordinator, he helped develop Jordan Love into a first-round selection and perennial Pro Bowler. Years later, he led Texas Tech signal-caller Jett Duffey to a career-best season in 2019.

But Johnson might be on a different level.

That's why, when Wells could draw a comparison for Johnson, his mind went straight to his Utah State days.

"I had a guy at Utah State once named Chuckie Keeton, and he was dynamic," said Wells. "Like really dynamic. Probably a little twitchier side-to-side than Avery, but not nearly as fast vertically. They're similar. They both throw the ball on the run.

"Jordan [Love] throws the ball very well on the run. So, there's similarities like that. I can see some of those."

It isn't just the on-field traits that are similar, though. According to Wells, all three quarterbacks share off-the-field things that Wells loves.

"All three have a few things in common, which is way cool for me," said Wells. "Number one, they're all really good teammates. They're hungry to learn. They're very coachable, like sponges. They have a heart of humility and thankfulness for opportunities and the people around them. All three have that characteristic, which I think is pretty cool because I think that makes them a better teammate."

Johnson drawing comparisons to Love isn't shocking. Coming out of college, Love was a dynamic playmaker who was rough around the edges. According to NFL Draft analysts, they believed his mobility and strong arm were traits that could carry over into the NFL with proper coaching.

Sound familiar?

Johnson had a similar scouting report as a full-time starting quarterback in his first season. While he had moments of struggle -- there is no such thing as a perfect quarterback -- there were moments of pure brilliance on tape.

Johnson broke the school's single-season touchdown record in the Rate Bowl, accounting for 32 touchdowns. He also threw for 2,712 yards and completed 58.3 percent of his passes.

Of course, the expectations for Johnson might've been higher, but most quarterbacks tend to take a step forward in their second season as a starting quarterback. And with the Wells-Johnson partnership continuing, there's no reason to believe he won't be next in line.

It also helps that Johnson has had a full off-season of prep to prepare for this season. Wells and Johnson won't delve into specific points of improvement, but Wells told the media this week that there was plenty of stuff that became a major focus, especially off the field.

"Specific things that we're working on, whether it's pocket movement and a presence in the pocket, and his base on deep balls," Wells said. "I think those are things that come to mind right now.

"I think there's also a leadership component that I've seen grow naturally over the years. Sometimes, people want to just give the quarterback position all this leadership. And certainly, there is a leadership platform that comes with the quarterback position, but you have to grow into that naturally, and he was willing to do that."

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