Arizona star WR Tetairoa McMillan's record-setting day makes case to go top-5 in 2025 NFL Draft
When you think of top wide receivers in college football, your mind will jump to the likes of LSU, Ohio State and Alabama and rightfully so. They have produced some of the best receivers in the National Football League. From Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave and Jaylen Waddle and […]
When you think of top wide receivers in college football, your mind will jump to the likes of LSU, Ohio State and Alabama and rightfully so. They have produced some of the best receivers in the National Football League. From Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave and Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, the littany of great receivers in the NFL from these schools feel boundless.
Every so often, you'll get a stud from a school you wouldn't expect. This year, the top three wide receivers are from Arizona, Missouri and Colorado with the former being the best of the bunch for my money.
Tetairoa McMillan moves different
Tetairoa McMillan came to Arizona in 2022 with his high school teammate Noah Fifita as a four-star recruit. At 6-foot-5 and 210 lbs, McMillan has better than the prototypical size of an X-receiver. For perspective, McMillan has a similar frame to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, but his slimmer frame (20 lbs lighter) helps him take things to the next level in the open field.
McMillan's 2024 season debut was incredible in more ways than one. He didn't just catch 10 passes, they went for 304 yards and an astounding four touchdowns. He became the first college football player to pass 300 yards receiving since Jaxon Smith-Njigba did so in the 2022 Rose Bowl against Utah. The game itself set records, including being the first player ever to have that kind of stat line.
Let's take a look at why McMillan is so special. When you are that tall, conventional wisdom is that McMillan would be a tradition X-receiver who uses his big body in contested catch situations and attack vertically down the field. What makes McMillan special is that he does much more than that.
His first touchdown came when he crossed up the defensive back like a classic Allen Iverson crossover. It went for 69 yards and is likely the easiest score that he will ever have.
The second touchdown shows some of that special sauce that McMillan has in regard to his movement skills. He glides in the open field and slithers through defenses line a serpent.
The awareness and movement skills that McMillan displays is something you would expect from a smaller receiver like Stefon Diggs or Tank Dell, not one who is 6-foot-5.
The second prime example of his movement skills come in the open field. He shows great vision and the ability to eat up chunks of yards with his galloping stride. The way he cuts back on the defender isn't normal.
His fourth and final touchdown of the game showcased that same ability. Arizona has no issues using McMillan in the slot and he takes this dig route to the house with an impressive display of agility and vision to cut through the New Mexico defense like butter.
Tetairoa McMillan can do it all
When you watch McMillan, you get to see a little bit of everything. He displayed some excellent toe drag swag on the sidelines. He also has tremendous awareness.
On his third touchdown of the day, McMillan saw that nothing was going well on the play, so he broke off his dig route, turned on the jets and scored a 78-yard touchdown.
He displayed everything you could want in a receiver all at once with his performance against the Lobos and it's a special package.
Why Tetairoa McMillan should go top five
When you look at the NFL Draft class, McMillan is one of three elite receiver prospects at this point in the process with Missouri's Luther Burden III and Colorado's Travis Hunter being the other two.
What is fascinating about the top three is they are all different. McMillan is an X-receiver with elite movement skills, Burden is a YAC monster that will draw comparisons to Deebo Samuel and Hunter is a technical master. Which archetype do you like more is the likely question between the three.
The one thing that helps McMillan stand out is the ability to blend all three archetypes in one. He's proven to be great after the catch and creates separation with nuance in his route running and body positioning.
That kind of size and athleticism combination is tremendous. You don't see that often. The last player who had that kind of movement skills at a size similar to McMillan is A.J. Green. The silky smooth movement skills are special and could catapult him into the top-five in the NFL Draft.
There are a lot of factors that could keep him from being selected in the top five, mainly team needs. On my board, I wouldn't be shocked to see McMillan end up with the top spot. He brings a special element to the table and the entire world, well everyone watching Pac 12 after dark (RIP), saw it on full display.
