Arizona Wildcats Star Tetairoa McMillan Receives Bold NFL Player Comp
The 2024 college football season has been a disaster for the Arizona Wildcats.
After winning 10 games last season, they have their work cut out for them to even become bowl-eligible in their first season in the Big 12. After winning their inaugural game in the conference, they have lost five in a row.
3-6 on the season, Brent Brennan’s first campaign in Tuscon has not gone according to plan. There are a lot of holes on the team that have been difficult to overcome, as a leaky defense has been the biggest culprit.
Offensively, there have been some inconsistencies at times. Quarterback Noah Fifita hasn’t been as efficient as he was when he stepped into the starting lineup last season, as his interception percentage has nearly doubled from 1.8 percent to 3.1.
Despite the overall struggles of the Wildcats offense, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan continues to produce at an impressive clip. He has caught 63 passes for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns.
The next closest in those categories are 30 by running back Quali Conley, 217 by tight end Keyan Burnett and two; a tie between wide receiver Jeremiah Patterson and tight end Sam Olson.
With no other weapons consistently stepping up, it is incredibly impressive how dominant McMillan has been. The opponent's entire game plans revolve around him, but he still finds a way to put up numbers.
Despite being a true junior and having eligibility left, all signs are pointing toward him declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. What kind of player would the team drafting him be getting?
Over at ESPN, analysts Matt Miller and Field Yates shared player comps for some of the top prospects in this year’s class. For the Arizona star, Miller selected Atlanta Falcons No. 1 receiver, Drake London.
“London was a top-10 draft pick for the Falcons in 2022 thanks to his ability to high point the football to win 50-50 battles and use his quickness and open-field moves to make defenders miss. That's McMillan, who plays above the rim and has a similar body type to London at 6-foot-5, 212 pounds. McMillan is second in the nation in receiving this season (1,066 yards), averages 16.9 yards per catch and has 11 red zone targets. There's a lot of upside to his game.”
With all of the tools to become a No. 1 receiver at the next level, the talented pass catcher is a lock to be a first-round pick. How high in the round he goes fluctuates depending on who you ask.
He is among the top three at wide receiver on virtually every draft board. The potential to be a top-10 pick is what will likely end his time with Arizona before he exhausts his eligibility.
