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Max Olson, ESPN Workers Author
Arizona large receiver Tetairoa McMillan kicked off his extremely anticipated junior season with a record-setting night time.
The preseason All-American and projected first-round draft decide set a brand new faculty document with 304 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 10 catches within the No. 21 Wildcats’ 61-39 win over visiting New Mexico.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound wideout delivered the primary 300-yard efficiency by a school receiver since Ohio State‘s Jaxon Smith-Njigba put up 347 receiving yards in opposition to Utah within the 2022 Rose Bowl. Solely 5 different FBS receivers have topped 300 yards over the previous decade.
In Arizona’s first recreation as a member of the Large 12, McMillan registered the second-most receiving yards in a recreation in convention historical past. His earlier profession excessive was a 266-yard recreation in opposition to rival Arizona State final season.
McMillan scored on performs of 69, 17, 78 and 40 yards and almost had a fifth TD reception however was tackled on the 1-yard line. Greater than half of his receiving yards (176) got here after the catch.
“T-Mac is clearly particular, man,” first-year Arizona coach Brent Brennan mentioned. “He is simply one thing else.”
McMillan missed time this offseason whereas recovering from a decrease leg damage suffered in spring apply and mentioned it felt “wonderful” to be again in motion.
“These final 4 months, I have been grinding and able to get again on the sphere,” he mentioned. “With the ability to simply play with my brothers once more, it is only a true blessing. Whatever the data, I am simply joyful to be again on the sphere with my brothers.”
New Mexico saved up with the Wildcats all through the primary half and took a 24-17 lead late within the second quarter. Three performs later, McMillan burned the Lobos for a 78-yard catch and run down the sideline to tie it up.
“These massive explosives had been simply unbelievable,” Brennan mentioned. “He outran the entire secondary on the large one down the sideline. He is superior. He is an superior competitor, and he is additionally not glad. He was like, ‘We are able to play higher.’ That is what you hope for.”
Arizona produced 627 whole yards of offense and averaged 11 yards per play, with quarterback Noah Fifita throwing for 422 yards and switch working backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt (New Mexico) and Quali Conley (San Jose State) combining for 196 dashing yards and 4 scores.
McMillan emerged as one in every of faculty soccer’s most dominant playmakers in 2023 with 90 catches for 1,402 yards (fifth most within the FBS) and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore on a Wildcats crew that gained 10 video games and the Alamo Bowl.
After Jedd Fisch and his teaching employees left to take over at Washington in January, Fifita and McMillan opted to bypass the switch portal and keep at Arizona. The previous teammates at Servite Excessive College in Anaheim, California, needed to maintain taking part in collectively and assist Brennan assemble a contender.
“All people on this constructing, the brotherhood we already had, the tradition we had set in right here, we simply did not need to go away this constructing,” McMillan mentioned. “The legacy that we already had started over right here, we needed to proceed this legacy. On the finish of the day, we got here to Tucson to be program changers. Hopefully, Tucson, y’all can discover pleasure in our play.”
