There was some concern when Arizona’s superstar wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was ruled out of the spring game with a lower leg injury after undergoing “minor surgery.”
His recovery continued into fall training camp, so he did not play during the preseason as the Wildcats prepare for their opening game on August 31.
Still, all signs pointed to him being ready to start the year, and on Sunday, Arizona fans finally got the news they were hoping for regarding McMillan’s availability.
Jason Scheer of 247Spors reported that their star fullback participated in 11-on-11 drills for the first time in training camp. And even though he was wearing a red jersey that prohibits physical contact, the fact that he has now been cleared to participate in such drills is a huge step in his road back to play.
The junior is coming off a performance that saw him named to the Third-Team All-American league, catching 90 balls for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is expected to improve on his performance, having already been named to several First-Team All-American lists during the preseason.
Head coach Brent Brennan said they would do what was best for McMillan, so the plan was always to slowly ease him into practice throughout training camp. But now that he’s moving toward full contact, it will be interesting to see how all the pieces fit together in Dino Baber’s new offense.
Despite the star being out, the Wildcats were able to take a closer look at some of the other wide receivers on their roster.
Transfer Jeremiah Patterson, in particular, has put himself in a position to play an important role on this team, something that might not have become so apparent had McMillan been on the field for the entirety of training camp.
But with their No. 1 player now back, Arizona can see what that offense will look like.
Scheer said that quarterback Noah Fifita immediately targeted McMillan on his first three possessions on the field and that “it looked like he didn’t miss a beat.” He also noted that “his presence completely changes the offense,” which is exciting to hear as they move forward.
It remains to be seen how quickly the Wildcats can bring their star wide receiver into the fold, but having him back on the field for 11-on-11 games is a good sign that he’ll be ready to hit the ground running in Week 1.
