ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ star Tetairoa McMillan wasn’t named the Biletnikoff Award winner on Thursday. The recipient of the award given to college football’s top wide receiver was Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.
Hunter won the award over McMillan and San Jose State’s Nick Nash during the College Football Awards Show on ESPN. Hunter, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, was also named the Chuck Bednarik Award winner for the top defensive player in college football.
Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter reacts in the second half of a Nov. 29 game in Boulder, Colo.
McMillan ended his junior season with 84 catches for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns but had a career-worst eight drops after only having a combined five in his first two seasons, according to PFF. McMillan also had 430 yards after catch this season.
McMillan, who is third in college football in receiving yards, leads the Big 12 in receiving yards and was recently named an All-Big 12 First-Team receiver — the first UA receiver to receive all-conference first-team honors since Juron Criner in 2010.
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McMillan was also named an Associated Press All-Big 12 selection and received All-America honors by Pro Football Focus, CBS and 247Sports. He was also named a Polynesian College Football Player of the Year finalist.
In three years at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, McMillan recorded a school-record 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns, the third-most in program history. McMillan passed current ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ wide receivers coach Bobby Wade for the career receiving record earlier this season.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 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.
“T-Mac has been such a great player here for so many years, and lots of people have a hand in his process and development, but I think Bobby has, too,†said ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Brent Brennan. “Bobby is an important part of that. They have a great relationship. Watching him play is really, really special.
“It’s not every day that a player like that comes around. ... He’s an incredibly hard worker, he’s a high-level competitor and that shows up every week.â€
McMillan has 1,162 yards after catch in his career and his 213 career receptions ranks fourth in UA history behind Mike Thomas, Wade and Dennis Northcutt. McMillan owns the single-game receiving record with 304 yards and four touchdowns, which he set in the season opener against New Mexico in August.
The 6-5, 212-pound McMillan, who signed with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2022 as the program’s highest-rated recruit in the modern recruiting era, ends his college career as arguably the top wide receiver in program history.
McMillan now turns his focus to the NFL Draft. The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ star officially declared for the draft on Thursday. McMillan is a projected Top 10 pick. If he lands higher than seventh, he’ll be the highest-selected Wildcat in draft history.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
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