Tetairoa McMillan’s illustrious career at Arizona has come down to one final Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.
Arguably the greatest wide receiver in UA football history will play his last game in Tucson as the Wildcats look to salvage their disappointing season with a win over their rival, red-hot Arizona State.
When it’s all said and done, one could argue McMillan as one of four faces on Arizona football’s Mount Rushmore. The numbers speak for themselves.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4), right, gets a helmet butt from running back Kedrick Reescano (3) after he hauled in a touchdown catch in the first quarter against Houston in their Big 12 game on Nov. 15, 2024.
McMillan’s 3,355 career receiving yards ranks first in UA history. McMillan set the record on Saturday in Arizona’s loss to TCU and passed Bobby Wade, Arizona’s wide receivers coach. McMillan is the only Wildcat in the top 10 of Arizona’s career receiving yards leaders to play three seasons at the UA; everyone else had four.
“I was extremely happy,” Wade said of McMillan passing him for the Arizona receiving record. “It was satisfying, for sure. It was something that was a goal we set when we first got here. You don’t make a lot of promises as a coach, but that was one I promised him we’d get done regardless of record and whatever else is going on.”
McMillan said working with Wade has “been a blessing to be under his wing and for him to show me the ropes about the game.”
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, McMillan’s longtime teammate since middle school, said McMillan deserves Arizona’s all-time receiving record “more than anybody.”
“Obviously week in and week out, he’s the best player on the field and he continues to show it since he put on an Arizona uniform,” Fifita said.
McMillan also has the single-game receiving record with 304 yards, which he set in the season opener against New Mexico. McMillan’s 25 career touchdowns is third in program history. Last season, he made his mark on the Arizona-ASU rivalry with a Territorial Bowl-record 266 receiving yards in Tempe.
Arizona tight end Keyan Burnett (88) has a pat on the hat for teammate Tetairoa McMillan (4) after McMillan's fourth touchdown of the night against New Mexico on Aug. 31 at Arizona Stadium.
McMillan recently became the first Wildcat to become a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which was revealed on Tuesday. McMillan is one of three finalists for the accolade given to the top college football wide receiver, along with Travis Hunter (Colorado) and Nick Nash (San Jose State). Fans can vote for the winner at biletnikoffaward.com/fan-vote.
In April, McMillan, who is a projected top-10 draft pick, has the opportunity to become the highest-selected Wildcat in NFL Draft history.
“It’s not every day that a player like that comes around,” Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said.
Brennan is correct.
Very seldom does a player of McMillan’s caliber sign with the Wildcats. Following his multi-sport career as a football-basketball-volleyball athlete at Servite High School in Anaheim, California, McMillan signed with the Wildcats in 2022, joining Fifita, linebacker Jacob Manu and tight end Keyan Burnett in the “Juice County” quartet that brought life to a downtrodden program in rebuild mode under former leader Jedd Fisch. McMillan is the highest-rated recruit to sign with Arizona in the modern recruiting era — and it could be a while before the Wildcats sign another one of McMillan’s caliber.
Tetairoa McMillan, left, will join three Servite High School teammates — including quarterback Noah Fifita, middle, and Keyan Burnett, right — on the Arizona Wildcats’ roster.
Even though McMillan isn’t a senior, honoring his career on Saturday “has been kicked around,” Brennan said, but “if we’re going to do that, that starts to get really messy.”
“We’re going to find ways to honor T-Mac and those great players that are draft eligible and will leave early,” added Brennan. “This is all about the guys who have been here for four or five years and have graduated from the U of A and are great contributors to the program.”
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) gets dragged down a yard short of the goal line by West Virginia cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. (1) in the second quarter, Oct. 25, 2024. The reception set up the Wildcats only score of the first half.
Not every moment at Arizona has been a pleasant experience for McMillan, who suffered a leg injury in April and didn’t fully return until just before the season opener. Additionally, McMillan’s body language in not-so-great moments has been under the microscope by game broadcasters and fans on social media.
“That’s what happens when you’re at the top,” Wade said. “When you’re the best receiver in the nation, they’re going to pick you apart. I truly believe that he is. ... He’s been the heartbeat of this team without being the vocal leader and having to scream and yell and stand in front of everybody and speak, and that’s just a tribute to who he is and his character as a person.
“He doesn’t want to be the person in the front, but naturally because of his ability, he is. So he’s scrutinized and picked apart, and that’s just the way it is with any sport. When you’re playing at the top, everyone at the bottom is going to try and pull you apart.”
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) stands on the sideline during the second half against TCU Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
Added Brennan: “All I know is when that ball is snapped, that kid is a warrior. Watch how hard he plays, watch him block, the way that young man practices, everything he’s given to this football program every step of the way. He’s awesome. The way he carries himself in the community, how generous he is with his time, how he interacts with fans, he’s really special.
“When we miss him on a throw, I understand him being frustrated. He’s competitive. It’s one of my favorite things about him, is how competitive he is. I think when you’re a player of that magnitude, people are always going to have opinions. That’s just part of the spotlight that he lives in. But to me and to everyone around here, the way he has attacked the work and continues to compete every Saturday, I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan practices some over the shoulder catches as the Wildcats run through some drills before their game against Northern Arizona on Sept. 7.
Less than a year ago, when Fisch left for Washington, it was conceivable for McMillan to follow his former coach before bolting for the NFL. Instead, he doubled down at Arizona for one more season to finish his vision — bowl game or not.
Considering his draft status, McMillan could also take the opt-out route on Saturday to avoid risking an injury that could hurt his draft stock. Instead, he’s suiting up to catch passes from Fifita for likely the last time ever and help the Wildcats spoil ASU’s quest to the Big 12 championship.
McMillan’s “roller coaster ride” of a career at Arizona will come to a close this week, and “despite the season not going the way we planned it to go, shoot, I don’t regret any decision I made,” McMillan said.
“Whether it’s coming to Arizona out of high school when they went 1-11, I don’t regret it,” McMillan said. “Coming back to Tucson when Coach Fisch left, I don’t regret it.
“I’m here because I’m supposed to be here. ... It’s the last time this Arizona football team gets to play together in 2024. All we have to do is be grateful for the opportunity, have fun and just go out there and play.”
