The preseason All-American nods continue to pile up for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who was named a first-team All-American by Walter Camp on Thursday.
McMillan and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II were the only Big 12 offensive players to make the Walter Camp preseason All-American team.Â
McMillan was also recently named an All-American by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. The UA standout also garnered preseason first-team All-Big 12 honors entering his junior season, which will likely be his last for the projected first-round NFL Draft pick.Â
Last season as a sophomore, the 6-5, 210-pound McMillan recorded 90 catches for 1,402 yards (the second-most receiving yards in a season by an ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ receiver behind Dennis Northcutt) and 10 touchdowns. McMillan's best statistical performance last season's Territorial Cup, where he finished with 11 receptions for 266 yards and a touchdown in a 36-point win over rival ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State.Â
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Before helping the Wildcats to a win over Oklahoma at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio to cap ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s historic 10-3 season, McMillan was named a second-team All-Pac-12 selection and third-team Associated Press All-American, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s first AP All-American since running back J.J. Taylor in 2018.Â
During spring practices in April, McMillan suffered a leg injury and underwent surgery, missing the final week of spring practices and the spring game. McMillan wore a boot, butÂ
McMillan, who attended Big 12 Media Days earlier this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, said his leg is "fine" and "I feel great." But the Wildcats aren't rushing McMillan for the start of fall training camp on July 30, despite McMillan participating in offseason workouts and player-led practices. McMillan will be "a version of full-go" for training camp, said ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Brent Brennan.Â
"We don't know enough yet if it's going to be full-throttle or not," Brennan said. "We're going to be really smart about that one. Make sure he's ready to go when it's time."
Added McMillan: “I don’t know what plan they have, what the athletic trainers have planned for me during fall camp and whatnot, but I feel pretty good and I can definitely move around well. I’m ready to put some cleats back on.â€
McMillan is 1,428 yards shy of passing UA great Bobby Wade, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s current wide receivers coach, for the most career receiving yards in program history.Â
"That's obviously the goal," McMillan said of potentially setting ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s all-time receiving yards record. "Coach Bobby does a good job of encouraging me to do that. At the end of the day, all records are meant to be broken."
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ quarterback Noah Fifita said McMillan "is going to show this year that he's the best player in the country."Â
"The tape speaks for itself," Fifita said. "When you really break it down and see the ball skills, body control and hands, those are things you can't really teach. Beyond that, just the character. You don't see a lot of guys his caliber as humble as him. He's a program-changer, he's a culture-changer, and that's why you'll see him go in the Top 5 (of the NFL Draft this year)."
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ kicks off the 2024 season against New Mexico at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports