Tetairoa McMillan’s so good, he’s already bought a number of nicknames.
There’s “T-Mac” — an apparent one grammatically. However not in contrast to Tracy McGrady, the previous NBA star who made that nickname well-known, McMillan is a big, balanced and explosive athlete with an infinite wingspan and big palms.
Then there’s “Nalo,” brief for Waimanalo, the small neighborhood on the windy facet of Hawaii’s Oahu Island the place McMillan was born. The city’s full identify successfully interprets to “drinkable water” in Polynesian, a nod to the world’s fertile agricultural historical past.
McMillan’s private translation is a bit catchier: Nalo — “Adverse Attitudes Lose Alternatives.” That’s his mantra (to not point out the slogan branded on all of his official attire).
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McMillan’s Twentieth-ranked Arizona workforce had an enormous alternative Friday evening, on the highway at No. 14 Kansas State. The Wildcats failed to fulfill the second, dropping a 31-7 blowout. McMillan, although, saved proper on producing. He completed the prime-time journey to Manhattan, Kan., with 11 catches for 138 yards (12.5 yards per catch common), marking the sixth time in his final seven video games courting again to final season that he’s topped the century mark.
All that, and his most spectacular “catch” Friday evening didn’t even depend. With Arizona down massive late, McMillan almost made a highlight-reel, one-handed seize alongside the sideline with a defender draped throughout him. His toe landed simply out of bounds, leading to an incompletion and conserving him from hitting 150 receiving yards on the evening.
Nonetheless, it was one other productive evening for McMillan, the No. 6 prospect and WR1 on Dane Brugler’s preseason 2025 NFL Draft board.
What makes McMillan so good
When he was round age 12, McMillan’s household moved from Hawaii to California. Not lengthy after he grew to become probably the most distinctive three-sport athletes within the nation. At almost 6-foot-5 with springs in his ft, McMillan was an All-State vast receiver, an all-conference (and faculty record-setting) volleyball participant and a basketball ahead.
He’s explosive, sure. However the factor that makes McMillan actually particular at that dimension is his physique coordination, which extends all the best way out to his palms. McMillan’s hand power, and the easy means he can pluck a ball away from his physique — whether or not it’s an correct throw or not — is a sight to behold. He can contort and twist within the air, very like an amazing dunker, whereas sustaining full management of his arms and palms.
The best-rated recruit within the historical past of Arizona soccer, McMillan performed alongside present Wildcats QB Noah Fifita (26-of-42 passing for 268 yards and one INT Friday evening) at Servite Excessive Faculty. The gifted receiver in the end picked Arizona after almost touchdown at Oregon, and he elected to remain this offseason regardless of head coach Jedd Fisch bolting to Washington.
McMillan performed at 190 kilos in highschool and was at 210 final season, when he broke out with 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. Over simply his ultimate 4 video games of 2023, he posted a mixed 38 catches for 649 yards and three touchdowns.
There are inconsistencies in his blocking and his route effectivity, and his pace isn’t overwhelming. However, normally, McMillan has been an not possible cowl for faculty defensive backs — a big, highly effective receiver who bends and twists like a a lot smaller one. Even final week, as Arizona’s offense clunked by way of a 22-10 win over Northern Arizona and McMillan recorded simply two catches for 11 yards, he had an affect.
Protection should throw a number of our bodies his course, similar to Kansas State did Friday evening. Typically, that’s nonetheless not sufficient to gradual him down.
Route nuance and consistency with each rep are the 2 remaining bumps McMillan must clean out as he eyes an NFL future. The whole lot else exhibits up with pure ease — timing within the air, rerouting himself downfield for the quarterback, ball monitoring and the power to chop on a dime and make yards after the catch.
There’s actually not lots McMillan can’t do.
One of the best a part of McMillan as a prospect? There’s no limitation to the place he’d match within the NFL. He has some Christian Watson to his sport, in that he’s fast sufficient to win as a Z or within the slot in the best state of affairs. He’s additionally a pure X receiver who, with added energy, has the instruments to be a beast of a weapon within the crimson zone or vertically wherever on the sphere.
McMillan, Missouri’s Luther Burden III and maybe two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter all determine to be within the combine for WR1 within the 2025 NFL Draft. Thus far, McMillan has finished nothing to harm his case.
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McMillan delivered his breakout season as a sophomore in 2023, becoming a member of Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze as the one three FBS gamers with at the least 90 catches, 1,400 receiving yards and 10 landing grabs.
Not coincidentally, McMillan’s emergence final season coincided with Arizona doubling its win whole from 5 in 2022 to 10 in 2023. Fisch departed for the Washington job this offseason, however Arizona retained McMillan, Fifita and a number of other different key gamers.
#Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan is greatest identified for his catch radius and catch level expertise.
However he’s a legit YAC weapon too. That is 6-5, 210 transferring like he is 5-10, 180. Straightforward to stamp him with a excessive grade. pic.twitter.com/HhsrJ3eU1M
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) July 10, 2024
I wish to see added power and route refinement from McMillan in 2024, however he has high-level catch-point expertise with better-than-expected agility after the catch. McMillan has the expertise to be the primary move catcher drafted subsequent April.
(High photograph: Scott Sewell / Imagn Pictures)
