It seems like just yesterday that Katie Thurston was making out with a dude in a cat costume, and now here we are: a few weeks into Michelle Young’s season 18 of The Bachelorette. Now that we’ve *officially* met all 30 of Michelle’s suitors (and saw their, ahem, creative introductions), it’s time to dig a lil deeper.

Contestant Joe Coleman kept his limo exit simple, but boy did things take an expeditious turn once he got face-to-face with Michelle. ICYMI, when the two met Michelle mentioned that Joe looked eerily familiar. He said it could be because he’s also from The Land of 10,000 Lakes. Cute...but that wasn’t cutting it. As Joe walked away, Michelle hollered, “Have I slid into your DMs? Is your last name Coleman?” To which he replied, “Yeah, that’s me.” Take a looksy:

Later, Michelle told hosts Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams that she and Joe messaged back and forth about basketball and then...wait for it...he ghosted her. First of all, rude! How dare he ghost this queen? Second of all, WHOA. So! Many! Emotions! In the end though—after a really hard, direct conversation about respect and communication—it worked out for him.

So, what do we know about Joe aside from the ghosting sitch? Not *that* much (it’s still early!), but let’s dig in. Just please be advised that there are some serious season spoilers toward the end of this article, but we’ll alert you before we drop them! Without further ado, let’s dive in to all things Joe.

Joe Is From Minnesota

Which is super convenient considering that’s where the bulk of Michelle’s season was filmed (the cast and crew moved into the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis in August after starting the season in southern California). It’s also super convenient because Minnesota happens to also be where Michelle is from, meaning she and Joe have one big thing in common!

He Works as a Real Estate Developer

Per Joe’s LinkedIn bio, he is “currently working as a real estate developer, property manager, and investor for single family/small multi-family properties in the Minneapolis area.” This is certainly a plus if he and Michelle go far since they both already live in the same area!

He’s an Amazing Basketball Player

And he’s had a super successful career considering he’s just 28. According to local Minnesota news site Bring Me the News, Joe was 2011’s Minnesota Mr. Basketball, and he played for two years at the University of Minnesota before transferring to Saint Mary’s College in California.

Meanwhile, Michelle is also an incredible baller who played in college as well, and not to mention she was a finalist for Minnesota’s Miss Basketball Award. So to put it simply: They both were pretty big deals in the Minnesota basketball circle.

And The Bachelorette is totally leaning into Michelle’s love of the sport, because one of her first group dates was basketball-themed:

He’s Not the Only Minnesota Athlete on Michelle’s Season

Bring Me the News notes that ex-Vikings offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann was also a contestant this season, and he also happens to be from Minnesota. This indicates that ABC is making a more concerted effort to connect their leads with people that they could actually date long-term after the show ends. You know, instead of putting Michelle—who is a devoted teacher to a classroom full of cute kids—in a position where she might have to move.

Bryan didn’t make it past week 1, but as we all know, Joe is still going strong!

🚨 WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS LIE BEYOND THIS POINT. YOU’VE BEEN ADVISED. 🚨

Joe and Michelle Were Spotted Kissing on a Public Date

Joe and Michelle were seen on a one-on-one date at Target Field for the Twins vs. Rays game in August—and spoiler source Reality Steve posted a ton of photos and videos of them throwing out the first pitch, kissing (!!!), and hugging.

^ Cute ^ Content ^ Alert

Joe Makes It Pretty Far

Since Michelle went on a date with Joe, we can assume he becomes a fave. Back on August 8, Steve revealed that Michelle was in between the first and third rose ceremonies:

reality steve instagram
Instagram

And Michelle and Joe’s date came about a week after Steve’s post. So, if Joe got a rose at the end of the date, it seems fair to assume he made it through rose ceremony #4. Note: Katie had ~11 men left after week four on her season, in case you want an idea of Joe’s competition.

Check back here for more details on Joe throughout Michelle’s season—including how far he ends up making it.