Last April, Arizona ended an infamous two-draft drought by having three players selected. It was the most Wildcats taken in one year since 2014.
The UA could match, or possibly exceed, that number depending on what teams do with their later picks. But what is certain is that Arizona will have a player taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night in Green Bay.
And when Tetairoa McMillan’s name is called, with an outside chance of being the highest-drafted player in school history, it will mark consecutive years with a Wildcat first rounder. That last happened in 1999 and 2000, when Chris McAlister went 10th overall to the Baltimore Ravens and a year later Trung Candidate was the 31st pick by the St. Louis Rams.
Offensive Jordan Morgan was taken 25th overall by the Green Bay Packers last year, the first time since 2021 the UA had a player drafted.
McMillan, the school career leader in receiving yards, is projected by Pro Football Focus to go 6th to the Oakland Raiders. That would be the highest any Wildcat has been drafted, topping Ricky Hunley’s No. 7 overall selection in 1984.
But that’s just one mock draft. Others have T-Mac going anywhere from 5th to the Jacksonville Jaguars (The Ringer) to 23rd to the Packers (Yahoo!) and several places in between. Other possible landing points include the New Orleans Saints (9th), Dallas Cowboys (12th) or Seattle Seahawks (18th).
Wherever he goes, best friend and longtime teammate Noah Fifita is excited to see what happens next.
“This is a very special week for us, especially for him and his family,” said Fifita, who has played alongside McMillan since seventh grade. “He’s worked all his life for this point. We know whatever franchise chooses him is going to be incredibly lucky.”
McMillan is all but guaranteed to go in the first round, but after him the only other Wildcat assured to hear his name called is offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. Pro Football Focus, which has done a full 7-round mock draft, has him going 99th overall to the New York Giants. That would be at the end of the third round, which is on Friday along with the second round.
Last year Morgan was the first UA offensive lineman picked since Eben Britton in 2009. Arizona hasn’t had offensive linemen picked in consecutive drafts since 1999-2000.
Rounds 4-7 are on Saturday, and a couple ex-Wildcats could get picked. Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who was limited to one game with the UA before being sidelined over eligibility concerns, impressed during all-star games, combines and pro days and could go in the late rounds.
Another possibility is kicker Tyler Loop, who set the school record with a 63-yard field goal in November and impressed at the NFL Draft Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February.
“Most powerful leg I’ve ever been around,” said Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, who coached special teams in 2024 when Loop made 18 of 23 field goals and had touchbacks on 53 of 56 kickoffs.
Arizona has had three kickers drafted, most recently Nick Folk in 2007 to the Cowboys in the 6th round. Folk, 40, just completed his 17th season in the NFL and is 14th in career field goals with 403.