Former Deion Sanders standout at Jackson State, Colorado lands at Georgia State

Wilkerson demonstrated immense improvement between his freshman and sophomore seasons. His freshman year, he received just over 50 carries for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He only caught two passes for 14 yards. His next season, however, in 2021 was a complete step up. He ran for 848 yards and eight touchdowns on 220 carries. Despite his improved production on the ground, he still didn’t do much through the air. Wilkerson only caught four passes for 24 yards.

In 2022, he transferred from Delaware State to Jackson State. Sanders optimized the running back’s talent to its highest degree. He rushed 226 times, gaining 1,167 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. Although he had the most carries of his collegiate career at Jackson State, he was incredibly efficient. Wilkerson averaged 5.2 yards per carry, his highest average so far. He had two games with over 100 rushing yards in 2022. In Jackson State’s 22-14 victory over Campbell, he ran 24 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. In perhaps the best game of his career, Wilkerson exploded for 214 yards and two touchdowns in 26 carries as he propelled JSU to a 41-14 win over Texas Southern. Not only was Wilkerson a menace on the ground, but he was also extremely effective as a receiver. He caught 21 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.

After JSU’s season ended in a wild overtime loss to North Carolina Central in the Celebration Bowl, Deion Sanders took a load of JSU players with him to Colorado, including Wilkerson. Despite his productive season with the Tigers, Wilkerson could not find the same level of success with the Buffaloes. He fought for playing time behind Dylan Edwards and Anthony Hankerson, both of whom have been with Colorado their entire career. Wilkerson had his least productive season in general, rushing 53 times for a career-low of 190 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 50 yards.

Wilkerson will have the opportunity to compete for a starting role at Georgia State. The Panthers’ lead back in 2023, Marcus Carroll, transferred to Missouri, opening up the path for Wilkerson to gain more touches and return to his 2022 form.