Garret Wilson realized a dream of many high school football players last season.
A walk-on at Oklahoma State, Wilson was on the traveling roster all season. He was a Division I quarterback.
There was only one problem.
“At the end of the day, I realized what my real priorities are,” Wilson said. “I wanted an opportunity to play and be around guys that wanted to be there and build a culture, guys I can build relationships with and stand up in my wedding some day.”
Watching Oklahoma State’s season opener last week only proved to Wilson that he made the right decision by transferring to defending NCAA Division III national champion North Central College.
“They had so many guys in the transfer portal,” Wilson said of the Cowboys. “I was only able to recognize a few of the players. You don’t get the camaraderie that you get in Division III.”
At NCC, Wilson is nearing the end of a unique, three-man competition to replace a legend at quarterback, Luke Lehnen, who won two national titles and was twice awarded the Gagliardi Trophy. Lehnen played for the Arlington Renegades in the UFL in the spring.
Wilson, Ferris State transfer Demir Ashiru or incumbent backup Calvin Lavery will be under center when NCC plays Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville in the season opener Sept. 13.
“It’s three very different kids, so it’s been fun,” NCC coach Brad Spencer said.
Ashiru, a Plainfield North graduate, was a backup for Ferris State, the 2024 NCAA Division II national champion. Once Ashiru realized the depth chart wasn’t in his favor for this season, he decided to transfer closer to home. He enrolled at NCC the day after the Cardinals won the national title in January.
“I really just trust the process here,” Ashiru said. “That was something I was looking for here — coaches that know how to win. You can trust everything they put in front of you.”
The dual-threat Ashiru would bring a completely different dynamic to the Cardinals’ offense if he wins the job.
“We had met him before,” Spencer said. “When he decided after the season that he wanted to transfer, he was a familiar name. He knew us. He’s a very athletic kid, mobile kid that can run and pass.”
Once it became clear that a scholarship wasn’t available at Oklahoma State, Wilson transferred to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas in the spring. That also wasn’t the fit he wanted. An assistant at Oklahoma State gave Wilson the idea of playing in Division III.
Wilson, who graduated from Oklahoma Christian School in Edmond, Oklahoma, immediately focused on the Cardinals.
“With their history, there is a reason why they’ve been so good the past five years and even before that,” he said. “The culture and the coaches have been amazing.”
Wilson is a pure pocket passer but has the athleticism to wiggle out of trouble. To Spencer, what stands out the most is between Wilson’s ears.
“He’s impressive on and off the field,” Spencer said. “He has an impressive football IQ.”
Lavery, a Quincy Notre Dame graduate, is the returnee who knows the playbook inside and out. He has been trying to bring Wilson and Ashiru along.
“He knows even more than some of the coaches do,” Ashiru said of Lavery. “Having him in the spring was a really big help when I first got the playbook. Having him as a resource is super helpful.”
The competition has been lively on the field, but the three quarterbacks have bonded off the field, as Wilson hoped would happen.
“We’re all competing but knowing that it’s a bigger-than-yourself mentality,” Wilson said. “You’re a team, and you’re trying to win games. Whoever is going to do that, we’re going to help them out for the future.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter.