Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast: Evaluating First Round Picks

Arizona has now seen three first round draft picks with one in each major sports. This marks the first time since 2008 that the Wildcats have had this happen.

NFL Commissoner Rodger Goodell, left, with Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan selected by the Carolina Panthers as the number eight pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Welcome! To another edition of the Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast featuring your host Troy Hutchison, who will be delivering a daily podcast discussing everything happening surrounding Arizona athletics, giving you an inside look at all the programs on campus.

Hutchison has been covering Arizona for the last seven years with his coverage spanning all-across UA’s campus from football and men’s basketball to Title IX sports. Plus, with so many former Wildcats playing at the next level in their prospective sports there will be moments where he will take a deep dive into the Cats execling outside of Tucson.

In this episode Hutchison talks about the Arizona athletics department seeing three first round draft picks in the three major sports in the NFL, NBA and now the MLB.

To watch today's episode, view below.

It is the first time the Wildcats have accomplished this feat since 2008 when Antoine Cason (Chargers), Jerryd Bayless (Pacers), Ryan Perry (Tigers) and Daniel Schlereth (Diamondbacks) were all taken in the first round of their sports.

First, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was taken No. 8 in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers falling one spot shy of tying Ricky Hunley for the highest drafted UA player in program history.

He accomplished this after playing 37 career games at Arizona. It was during that time that McMillan hauled in 213 catches where he set a program-record in receiving yards with 3,423 to go along with his 26 touchdowns.

Then later, Arizona forward Carter Bryant was selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs becoming the 27th first round pick in program history.

Bryant was the first UA player taken by the Spurs in the first round since the 1989 draft when star forward Sean Elliott was selected with the third overall pick.

Now Sunday night during the MLB Draft, outfielder Brendan Summerhill was projected as the No. 16 overall prospect in the draft. However, Summerhill was taken in the first round with the No. 42 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The pick of Summerhill makes it the 22nd first round draft pick from Arizona in program history. Plus, it marks back-to-back seasons the Wildcats have accomplished this goal.

Hutchison will be going over the importance of achieving this feat as an athletics department and gives his thoughts on the organizations that selected these Wildcats.

Please be sure to share your thoughts on the three Wildcats taken in the first round from each of their sports. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.