McMillan Promises to End UW Punt Return Touchdown Dry Spell

The Huskies have gone 38 games without scoring on a runback.

The punt return for a touchdown, once a staple of University of Washington football, especially when NCAA record-holder Dante Pettis, with 9 in his career, made it look so easy on Saturdays, has become sort of a lost art in Montlake.

The Huskies enter this season having gone 38 games, 46 returns and nine different punt returners — even defensive tackle Levin Onwuzurike was credited with a 12-yard runback following a block — without finding the end zone.

Jalen McMillan, the Huskies' leading returning receiver and filling in on special teams for the injured Giles Jackson, plans to change that.

"Oh yeah, it'll happen. It'll happen. I'm going to get one," McMillan said in fall camp of a TD return. 

Like Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield and guaranteeing a home run, the junior from Fresno even called his own shot for skipping past everyone and finding the end zone on fourth down this season.

"I want to do it in the Oregon game," McMillan said, drawing laughs, referencing the Huskies' sixth game on Oct. 14.

In 2022, he was one of four UW players credited with a punt return, joined by Rome Odunze, Dom Hampton and Jackson. McMillan ran back four and had the season's longest return of 31 yards against Colorado.

Aaron Fuller was the last Husky to break one, going 88 yards to score at BYU in the fourth game of the 2019 season, in a 45-19 UW victory.

With Jackson laid up, McMillan will handle the punt-return duties while Germie Bernard and Daniyel Ngata deal with UW kickoff returns.

McMillan certainly has the speed and elusiveness to end this program runback dry spell, having sprinted 84 yards with a touchdown pass against Portland State and gone 75 to score on a catch against Washington State last season.

Always interesting to speak with, McMillan recently told how he lists the reasons he plays football on a mirror at home, as well as inspirational quotes.

His favorite saying?

"You might not understand right now, but you will later," he shared.

Yet McMillan seems to have a very good handle on his punt-return fortunes right now and what he's capable of doing.  It's no doubt one of the reasons he plays the game. Oregon, mark that down.

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