Despite a record-setting season, Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan slipped in the final ESPN "Ranking the top 100 college football players of the 2024-25 season." McMillan fell from 13th on the preseason Top 100 to 28th in the final postseason rankings posted on Wednesday.
McMillan finished his Arizona career fourth in program history with 213 receptions, first with 3,423 receiving yards and third with 26 TDs. In an otherwise disappointing season, McMillan was exhilarating. McMillan had five games with 100 yards receiving, two over 200 yards and a third with 300 yards in 2024.
McMillan was the highest-ranked signee in Arizona program history in the 2022 class. The NFL Mock Draft Database projects McMillan as the seventh pick in 2025. Ricky who was the seventh pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1984 NFL Draft is the highest-picked Arizona player in program history.
McMillan is arguably the most talented player in Arizona history. The career-receiving numbers McMillan recorded were in three years compared to the other players near the top who accomplished their figures in four seasons. Quarterback Noah Fifita and McMillan will forever be linked in Arizona history.
"A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top receiver, T-Mac was a bright spot on an otherwise disappointing season for Arizona. He caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards with eight touchdowns and was perhaps the most dangerous deep threat in the country. He turned in one of the best single-game performances of the season -- regardless of position -- when he caught 10 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the first game of the season."Kyle Bonagura, ESPN
McMillan lost out on the Biletnikoff to Colorado defensive back and wide receiver Travis Hunter who had 96 receptions for 1,258 receiving yards and 15 TDs. Hunter won multiple national awards in 2024 including the Heisman Trophy. McMillan set Arizona single-game records with 304 yards and four TDs in the season opener versus New Mexico.
McMillan's 1,319 yards from scrimmage in 2024 was an astronomical 31.0 percent of the Arizona offense. McMillan finished the 2024 season third nationally in receiving yards per game and 28th in yards from scrimmage. Arizona finished 96th in total offense and 42nd in passing offense.
On a team that lost 30 players to the transfer portal a few others as early entrants to the NFL Draft, none will be missed more than McMillan. It will take multiple players for Arizona to replace the exceptional production of McMillan in his three seasons with the Wildcats.