Sy’Veon Wilkerson didn’t just follow Deion Sanders and Co. from Jackson State to Colorado football just to say he played at the Power Five level.
The former All-SWAC running back says he’s got lofty goals as he prepares to suit up for his third program in as many years. He says his main goal is to lead the Pac-12 and the FBS in rushing. He is so fixated on it that he keeps a screenshot of last year’s top rushers in his phone to motivate him.
“It’s been my lock screen for the past three months, so I see that every day,” Wilkerson told Thee PreGame Show. “It’s going to be different by the end of the season.”
That’s quite a bit of confidence from a player that has never played at that level.
The running back started his career at Delaware State in 2021, where he led the MEAC in rushing attempts as a freshman (220), while finishing second with 848 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He left DSU after the season and hit the transfer portal, hoping to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State.
He had a cup of coffee at West Virginia in the spring of 2022 before finding his way to Jackson State.
Sy’Veon Wilkerson started the season on the bench but rushed for 141 yards and two scores against Grambling State early in the season to become the featured back. He breathed much-needed life into the Jackson State football running game in 2022 as he rushed for 1,152 yards and nine touchdowns.
So clearly, Wilkerson has thrived in his first two college stops. But those were in the FCS – not the FBS. But Wilkerson is confident his game will translate.
“I always knew I could play at this level. I’m not really trying to prove anybody wrong, I’m trying to prove myself right,” Wilkerson said. “That’s really what I’m focused on. I don’t really care about what other people say. I see what other people say – but I’m at the point in my life where I stopped caring about what people say in high school. I go out and do my thing regardless of what people say.”
Wilkerson says he’s not worried about the opinions of those who point out the fact that he has been in the the transfer portal almost as much as he’s been in the backfield. For him, it’s about making the most of every opportunity placed in front of him.
“Cuz at the end of the day, nobody opinions matter but how I feel, how my mama feel, how Jesus feel – that s what really matters at the end of the day,” Wilkerson said. “People are going to talk all the time. I’m just trying to put myself in the best position for 10, 15 years.”