Pac-12 Battle Taking Shape for WR Tetairoa McMillan

Taking a look at where Oregon stands with one of the top talents from Southern California.

Author:
Max Torres
Publish date:
Jun 24, 2021 5:04 PM EDT

One of the biggest names in the 2022 class could be closing in on a decision.

4-star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has more than 20 offers and is one of the most dynamic playmakers you'll find anywhere in the country. With traditional recruiting back in full swing, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound prep from Servite High School in Anaheim, California, has been busy checking out schools in the month of June.

So far he's visited Arizona and nearby USC, and recently returned from a trip to Eugene, where he got his first look at the Ducks. He took some time to break down the visit as well as the latest in his recruitment with Ducks Digest.

He made the short trip north to Eugene over the weekend along with his mother and sister, who came away impressed.

"They liked it just as much as I did if not more than I did," McMillan said of his family's thoughts on the visit.

The trip gave him the chance to see Oregon's world-class facilities and spend time with current Ducks Seven McGee and Keith Brown.

"They showed me nothing but love and offered for me to come and spend time with them. I feel like we connected really well and it was a great time."

For someone who has their phone constantly blown up by coaches during a heavily-contested recruitment, he appreciated the opportunity to be himself and enjoy time with other players.

"This whole recruiting process is already a burden," he said. "I get calls everyday talking about football and sometimes I wanna get away from that and be myself. They were talking about me and talking about each other. It was a great feeling."

After signing arguably the most talented wide receiver class in program history, Bryan McClendon is leading the way for the Ducks once again and has built a strong relationship with the Southern California Star.

"He's definitely one of the best in the business and I feel like he can develop me into a receiver," McMillan said of McClendon, who has developed NFL talents like Bryan Edwards and Deebo Samuel .

"The first time we talked about football was on the official visit. I hadn’t gotten to experience his schemes and knowledge of the game. He’s a good person and just got to know me."

Oregon's personalized approach to his recruitment doesn't stop at his relationship with McCledon. During the trip McMillan also spent extended time with Director of Player Personnel Don Johnson as well as Head Coach Mario Cristobal, with whom he shares a unique interest.

"Right when I set foot on the campus I felt nothing but love from him," he said of Cristobal. "Me and him connected very well. He’s been in love with MMA for 17 years and so have I. Me and him got along really well."

Aside from the top-tier facilities, the overall feel of the school was his favorite part of the trip.

"The environment and the atmosphere. I felt like I could be myself and I was really comfortable around them," McMillan said.

What's standing out most about the Ducks may have nothing to do with what he saw this weekend, but rather what he's seeing on Saturdays in the fall.

"They been on a Pac-12 winning streak right now. Their coaching staff is incredible. Everyone on the staff has a lot of experience and knowledge of the game.

"I feel like they can develop me into a great person and a great player and get me to the next level."

It's clear Oregon is in a great spot for one of its top offensive targets, but McMillan says that the Ducks are one of three schools recruiting him the hardest, along with USC and Arizona.

He's already taken an official visit to Tucson to check out the Wildcats, as well as an unofficial up the road in Los Angeles to visit USC. The Trojans are pushing to get him on campus for an official visit this weekend, but that remains up in the air.

USC currently boasts the top recruiting class in the Pac-12, headlined by familiar faces McMillan regularly competes against in the Trinity League like 5-star cornerback Domani Jackson.

"They got some of the top recruits committed there and most of them are hometown players from Cali," he said of USC's class. "They all tell me and try to convince me to go over to USC, but at the end of the day we'll see what happens."

USC has consistently churned out NFL wide receivers from the Los Angeles area, including JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Robert Woods (Rams) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions).

"That’s definitely a big part of it. There's no doubt about it, they create great wide receivers and get people to the next level," he said of USC's tradition of excellence at wide receiver.

"Especially for me, everyone’s end goal is to make it to the league. I definitely feel like they can do that."

USC has made things more interesting by giving him the opportunity to play volleyball at the next level-- joining UCLA and Stanford as the only schools to do so.

And then you have Arizona.

A school that has struggled in recent years but is rebuilding a new identity under first-year Head Coach Jedd Fisch and also gives McMillan the chance to continue playing with his high school quarterback Noah Fifita, an Arizona commit.

"The best thing for a wide receiver to pick a college is the quarterback. Knowing that I have a quarterback for the next three to four years is a great feeling. I've been playing with him since eighth grade--our chemistry is there and that’s my best friend. Very high chance I go there."

What is he looking for in the school that will earn his commitment?

"Just if it feels right, if it feels like home then thats the place for me," McMillan said. "It was nice taking all these visits and seeing what it's like on campus and being around the staff."

McMillan doesn't have any other trips on the immediate horizon other than a possible trip to USC for an official.

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