Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan catches a pass for a touchdown over Washington linebacker Kamren Fabiculanan during the Wildcats' trip to Seattle in October. The score was one of eight touchdowns for the now-sophomore, who expects to up the ante on his highlight-reel freshman campaign when the 2023 season arrives this fall. 

 John Froschauer / Associated Press

What might T-Mac 2.0 look like?

“I feel like he’s ready to take over college football this year,” Jayden de Laura said.

Whoa. That’s a lot to put on a sophomore who’s been out of high school a little over a year.

Then again, there’s reason to believe a Tetairoa McMillan Takeover might be coming.

McMillan was good as a freshman for Arizona; check that, very good. He made multiple Freshman All-American teams. His 702 receiving yards were the most by any true freshman in the nation and the most ever by a Wildcat freshman. His eight touchdown receptions tied for second most in the Pac-12 — with Jordan Addison and Dalton Kincaid, who are about to be high NFL draft picks.

In short, McMillan lived up to the hype that made him a high four-star recruit — some had him as a five-star — coming out of Southern California’s Servite High School.

But what if I told you that McMillan has another gear? What if I told you that the 6-5 wide receiver is now among the fastest players on the UA roster?

A wide Tetairoa McMillan hauls in a long bomb for Arizona during the Wildcats' home matchup with Washington State last fall at Arizona Stadium. The then-freshman wide receiver caught 39 passes for 702 yards and two touchdowns in his first year in Tucson.

“When I first got here, I was running 18 miles per hour,” McMillan said Friday during a media event to preview spring practice, which begins March 14. “Now I’m running 22.”

That’s another whoa. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the fastest ball carrier in the league last season was Indianapolis wideout Parris Campbell at 22.11 mph. Only two players listed in the top 10 are over 6-1: 6-5 Packers receiver Christian Watson and 6-4 Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen.

Of course, the NFL’s tracking system is undoubtedly more sophisticated and precise than the NFL’s. And in my experience, football players exaggerate their speed all the time.

But we’ve moved past the days when guys could say they run a 4.3 40 without receipts. And McMillan has no reason to make it up.

Besides, to a man, every teammate I talked to noted how much faster, bigger and stronger McMillan had gotten since he arrived on campus in January 2022. He weighed 185 pounds then. He weighs 205 now.

“Just seeing his improvement from the first day that he got here and how much stronger and how much bigger he’s gotten is really crazy,” third-year safety Isaiah Taylor said. “Y’all might not be able to see it, but it’s honestly insane how much stronger, how much faster, how much more explosive. I think he’ll have a big jump this year.”

McMillan made a big jump last year. After a splashy first spring practice featuring several acrobatic catches that he made look routine, McMillan struggled. The coaches matched him up against veteran cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, who pressed, harassed and at times manhandled the freshman.

It was the best thing that could have happened to him.

“It was a tough spring for him, and it helped him get ready for the season,” offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll said. “The next step is what he’s done this offseason. He’s been a fantastic competitor. His attitude has been as good as you can ask. He wants to be a dominant receiver in this league. And everything’s pointing to that happening.”

McMillan realized that he couldn’t rely on his size and athleticism to dominate the competition like he did in high school. He had to find another gear.

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan catches a 24-yard touchdown over Cal cornerback Isaiah Young during their Sept. 24 game in Berkeley.

As the season progressed, so did T-Mac. His average per reception climbed from 16.1 yards in the first six games to 20.2 in the final six. His efficiency — receptions divided by targets — went from 46.7% to 50%.

(The only time McMillan didn’t catch a pass as a freshman came in the season finale against ASU. He was targeted a season-low-tying two times. Weird game.)

McMillan’s route tree expanded, and it’s only going to grow this year now that he’s faster, bigger, stronger — and older.

McMillan conceded that he was frustrated at times last season because that tree was about as big as Baby Groot. But he also understood why.

Although he was Arizona’s highest-ranked recruit since such rankings came into existence, McMillan was still a freshman. Trust is earned, not given.

McMillan said he’ll be moved around the formation more this year. Additionally, his chemistry has improved with de Laura. The two weren’t always on the same page of the playbook when it came to the timing and placement of passes, especially along the sidelines.

“He’s like, ‘This is how I want it.’ So our communication is way better than last year,” de Laura said. “I feel like he’s more comfortable talking to me, and I’m more comfortable talking to him. And in the weight room, I just see him pushing every day.”

Linebacker Jacob Manu, McMillan’s teammate since Servite, said: “I haven’t seen him work the way he’s been working.”

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) gets over North Dakota State cornerback Destin Talbert (6) for a first down catch in the fourth quarter of their game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022.

That’s our third whoa. Manu and McMillan have known each other and played together (McMillan doubled as a defensive back in high school) for years. If Manu says he’s never seen McMillan work this hard, that’s meaningful: T-Mac is clearly motivated.

“It’s really how much he wants to put into it,” Carroll said. “He’ll get it all out. He’s such a special athlete. And he’s such a special competitor.”

Getting knocked around by Roland-Wallace, who’s now at USC, and other college cornerbacks undoubtedly wounded McMillan’s pride. He couldn’t keep losing those battles. So he did something about it. He changed his body.

“I think he’s gonna be able to tap into some things that he hasn’t been able to tap into before,” Carroll said. “When he got here, the older corners that we had were able to ... push him around a little bit. It ain’t gonna be like that anymore.”

McMillan will run through them. Or past them.

When he first arrived in Tucson, McMillan was “always in the back in the sprints,” he said. “Now I’m competing for first every time.”

He’ll have every opportunity to blow past last year’s numbers. The departure of Dorian Singer should increase McMillan’s target share by a significant amount. It wouldn’t be surprising if he topped 1,000 yards this season. It would be more surprising if he didn’t.

When that happens, McMillan will go from a Freshman All-American to an All-American, period. The last UA receiver to garner any such recognition was Austin Hill in 2012.

“God blessed me with many gifts and talents,” McMillan said. “I’m just ready to showcase them this upcoming year.”

Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch offers a big high five for then-freshman wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan after the Wildcats scored late against North Dakota State.

Arizona offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll talks about the return of Jayden de Laura, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Morgan for another season and what it brings to the flow of the offense at Arizona Stadium on Mar. 3, 2023. Video by Aidan Wohl / Special to the Arizona Daily Star.

Arizona senior wide receiver Jacob Cowing explains his decision to return for his final season and discusses his areas for improvement at Arizona Stadium on Mar. 3, 2023. Video by Aidan Wohl / Special to the Arizona Daily Star

Arizona junior quarterback Jayden de Laura discusses senior tackle Jordan Morgan's journey through last season's injury and his thoughts on Morgan's return at Arizona Stadium on Mar. 3, 2023. Video by Aidan Wohl / Special to the Arizona Daily Star.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.

Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter: @michaeljlev