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Tetairoa McMillan on pace for close to Arizona receiving record and 1st nationally

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is first nationally in receiving yards and close to the program record for a single season as Arizona enters its second and final bye of the 2024 season.

ByAlan Rubenstein|
Oct 26, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) celebrates a first down against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the fourth quarter at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) celebrates a first down against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the fourth quarter at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Tetairoa McMillan leads the nation with 1,066 receiving yards and is on pace to challenge the Arizona program record of 3,351 set by his position coach Bobby Wade from 1999 through 2002. Bowling Green wide receiver Harold Fannin Jr. is the only other player nationally with over 1,000 receiving yards in 2024 with 1033.

McMillan is also on pace to challenge the Arizona single-season record of 1,422 yards set by Dennis Northcutt in 1999. With one loss eliminating Arizona from bowl contention, McMillan chasing the career and single-season receiving record is something to look forward to over the final three games of the season.

McMillan has the chance to become the highest-drafted player in Arizona history. CBS Sports projects McMillan to be the fourth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Linebacker Ricky Hunley who was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals is the highest-drafted player in Arizona history.

McMillan has 192 receptions for 3,170 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in his career. Mike Thomas holds the Arizona record with 259 receptions from 2005 through 2009. McMillan is on pace for 1,421 receiving yards this season. Expect quarterback Noah Fifita to do would he could to help McMillan break the single-season record.

McMillan is also competing to be the first Arizona consensus All-American since linebacker Scooby Wright in 2014. Northcutt was a consensus All-American as an All-Purpose player in 1999. Northcutt added 14 carries for 200 yards and one TD plus 627 yards and two TDs on kick and punt returns.

McMillan enters the final three games of 2024 fourth nationally averaging 118.4 receiving yards per game. The other three players have played fewer games than Arizona entering week 11. Tre Harris of Mississippi is the only receiver from a Power Four Conference averaging more yards per game than McMillan.

With the numbers McMillan is posting in 2024 he will leave Arizona as the best wide receiver in program history and potentially the best player ever. McMillan was the highest-ranked signee in Arizona history. The 247Sports composite rankings had McMillan as the 51st prospect, fifth WR and fourth player in California in the 2021 class.

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