Will Arizona Wildcats WR Tetairoa McMillan Be An Impact NFL Player Right Away?
As the Arizona Wildcats look to bounce back after a bad loss in Week 3 to the Kansas State Wildcats, it is clear that they do have one of the best players in the country on their team.
This season, Tetairoa McMillan has lived up to the hype as one of the best wide receivers in the nation, as he’s off to a great start this year. In the first game of the season, McMillan put up video game numbers against the New Mexico Lobos.
In the victory, McMillan totaled 10 receptions, 304 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. With the big performance, it looked like McMillan was on his way toward becoming a Heisman favorite. However, he was shutdown by a great defensive scheme by the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in Week 2. The star wide receiver only totaled two receptions for 11 yards in the narrow win.
Week 3 will undoubtedly be one of the biggest games that the Wildcats play all season, but the team was unfortunately blown out. However, despite the offense struggling as a whole, McMillan played very well, as he totaled 11 receptions for 138 receiving yards.
The junior wide out should be heading to the NFL next season and early mock drafts have him comfortably in the first round, and potentially in the Top-10. Recently, Brad Shepard of Bleacher Report spoke about McMillan's transition to the NFL, and he believes he’s one of the most NFL-ready players in the country.
“This is a playmaker who can go across the middle, get yards after the catch and move away from defenders once he separates. There are a lot of pass-catchers discussed in college football, but McMillan has produced ever since he arrived in Tucson. He looks like a Larry Fitzgerald type who is going to catch everything thrown his way and be an All-Pro year after year. I love his size, his makeup and his pro potential. It's off the charts.”
While there is no doubt of the skill that McMillan possesses, it is his size that will help an easy transition into the NFL. Being 6’5”, over 200lbs and being able to run is going to be very hard for opposing cornerbacks to stop, even in the NFL.
As we have seen in recent years, wide receivers are able to come out of college and make an impact right away in the NFL now. McMillan certainly has that type of talent, and he will instantly improve whichever team he is drafted to next season.
NICK ZIEGLER