Tetairoa McMillan will play with familiar quarterback in Carolina
Southern California is loaded with high school football talent.
And now two of the best players in recent history from the CIF Southern Section will be teammates in the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers drafted Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan on Thursday with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carolina's quarterback, Bryce Young, played in the same league as McMillan in high school — arguably the best high school football league in the country.
Young led Mater Dei to the Trinity League championship — and the No. 2 ranking in the country — in his senior high school season in 2019. McMillan was a freshman at Servite High School that season, and he caught 8 passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in a 56-11 loss to Mater Dei.
Young went on to a storied career at Alabama that included a Heisman Trophy in 2021, while McMillan was one of the best wide receivers in college football the past three seasons.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Young and McMillan have been training together in Los Angeles.
With plenty of trade options, the #Panthers stick and pick: They select at No. 8 #Arizona star WR Tetairoa McMillan -- T-Mac.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025
He's been quietly throwing with QB Bryce Young in LA. They two are already developing a connection.
After a tough rookie season with Carolina in 2023, Young made huge strides in his second year in the NFL, passing for 2,403 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushing for 249 yards and 6 TDs. And now he has a legitimate No. 1 wide reciever.
McMillan caught 213 passes for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three seasons at Arizona. He was frequently double-teamed and forced to adjust to exotic coverages as teams tried to take him away. He also has great hands: McMillan had just two drops on 136 targets this past season.
McMillan ran a 4.46 40-yard dash during his pro day, which is a great time for a receiver with his size.
"He is a prototype X-receiver at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds," Pro Football Focus wrote about McMillan before the draft. "His 35 contested catches over the past two years led all FBS receivers. McMillan proved he’s more than just a big body as a junior, though, placing second among FBS wideouts with 29 forced missed tackles after the catch."
That Cali to Cali connection is gonna be something different#NFLDraft on NFLN, ABC & ESPN pic.twitter.com/DmfZ0qm7Ha
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 25, 2025
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-029877d49238355bd3388a94f90e3c72.jpg "Ben Sherman")
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his 27-year journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. A basketball junkie, March Madness is his favorite time of the year.