Tetairoa McMillan was a top-10 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft and landed with the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall. That made him the highest-selected offensive player in Arizona Wildcats history and tied him for the second-highest pick overall in the program’s history.
Now, McMillan joins the Panthers as one of college football’s most dominant wide receivers. Here’s what to know about him.
When Was Tetairoa McMillan Born?
McMillan was born on April 5, 2003, and entered the NFL as a 22-year-old rookie. A Hawaii native, he was the highest-rated recruit in the history of Servite High School in Anaheim, California.
One of the top-graded wide receivers in the 2025 Draft, McMillan flew home to Waimanalo, Hawaii, to celebrate his birthday and draft selection with his family before heading to Carolina.
Tetairoa McMillan: 6-foot-5, 210-pound, powerful, smooth, strong-handed WR (top 10 player in the class IMO)
Also Tetairoa McMillan: has an absolute 🚀 pic.twitter.com/TdTXRaQp4i
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 7, 2025
“It has been hectic for the last four months, really. But just finally being over it, finally the draft process being over, finally knowing what team I will play for, which jersey I get to put on, and just take it one step and join my family.
“It’s a big moment not only for me but for my family, and at the end of the day, those are the people who have invested in me,” McMillan said.
McMillan originally committed to the University of Oregon but flipped to the University of Arizona in 2022.
Revisiting Tetairoa McMillan’s College Career
McMillan earned a starting role right away as a freshman at Arizona. He led all true freshmen with 702 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 39 catches. In his sophomore year, he broke out with 90 receptions for 1,402 yards — fifth-most in the nation — and 10 touchdowns in 13 games.
He capped his college career with 1,319 yards on 84 receptions as a junior, ranking third in the country. That performance earned him 2024 Consensus All-American honors. He also set the program record with 3,423 career receiving yards.
PFSN’s Ian Cummings believes McMillan projects as a high-end WR2 early in his NFL career, though he has the potential to grow into a WR1.
“McMillan has rare agility, quickness, and flexibility for his size, and he’s a power forward at the catch. His projection against press is unclear, which is why a WR2 role is best at first, but he can outmatch secondary defenders with his catch-point skills, bend, and RAC.”
“The biggest question mark for McMillan is whether he can be a true WR1, or whether he profiles more as a high-end WR2. Early in his career, he might function better as the latter, but his quickness and size suggest he can expand his release package and eventually morph into a number one.”