Joel Wilson

Early life

Wilson attended Petoskey High School in Petoskey, Michigan, where he played quarterback on the football team. He committed to play college football at Central Michigan.

College career

As a freshman in 2018, Wilson caught one pass for five yards. In 2019, he brought in one pass for seven yards and made a tackle as he was limited due to a broken foot. In the shortened 2020 season, Wilson hauled in five receptions for 50 yards. In week three of the 2021 season, Wilson hauled in four passes for 31 yards and his first career touchdown, but Central Michigan lost to LSU 49–21. In the 2021 Sun Bowl, Wilson caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdowns, as he helped Central Michigan beat Washington State 24–21. Wilson took a big step up in 2021, finishing the year with 31 receptions for 367 yards and six touchdowns. In week four of the 2022 season, Wilson brought in five receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, but Central Michigan lost versus Penn State 33–14. In week eight, Wilson notched eight receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, but Central Michigan lost 34–18 against Bowling Green. However, in week ten against Northern Illinois, Wilson caught a touchdown but went down with a season-ending injury. Wilson finished the 2022 season with 44 receptions for 445 yards and six touchdowns. For his performance on the season, Wilson was named third-team All-MAC.

Wilson finished his career at Central Michigan with 82 receptions for 874 yards and 12 touchdowns.