Huskies' McMillan Remains in Limbo Heading Into USC Game

While others were celebrating Washington's 42-33 victory on Saturday at Stanford, junior wide receiver Jalen McMillan had a difficult time.

Dealing with a knee injury suffered six weeks earlier at Michigan State, McMillan tried to play again for the second time in three games — and lasted just a couple of series.

"He was emotional," UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said of the postgame moment in Palo Alto for his standout pass-catcher. "It's been really hard on him."

While he and his teammates have put together an 8-0 record and earned a No. 5 national ranking, McMillan's season has been somewhat of a wash, which is especially harsh for someone projected to be a desired NFL prospect.

McMillan has appeared in just two full games, a half against Michigan State and those fleeting comeback attempts against Oregon and Stanford.

"J-Mac is his own kind of guy," Grubb said. "His ability to separate versus man coverage is elite. He knows that. He knows we're better with him out there. It's hard, it's really hard."

With just four regular-season games remaining, followed by a postseason of undetermined length, McMillan likely has to be wondering about football future and pro prospects.

Regardless of how much more he plays this season, the Fresno, California, native has another season of college football eligibility should he choose to use it.

"That's something I'm sure is in the back of his mind and he's working through and we'll continue to talk it through with him," UW coach Kalen DeBoer said. "That's on his time frame."

McMillan continues to take strength tests on his weakened hinge, which is vulnerable because the receiver runs what Grubb calls "violent routes" and puts great stress on his joints.

This player who caught a team-best 79 receptions last year, but has just 20 catches for 311 and 3 touchdowns this season, will wear a knee brace moving forward.

While McMillan remained in limbo, fellow wide receiver Giles Jackson missed the Stanford game entirely with an ankle injury.

While his Husky return is similarly in question, Jackson has appeared in two games and can appear in two more this season before a decision has to be made on his future.

Jackson either plays out the remainder of this season or limits himself to those four games and comes back for more in 2024. He seems willing to do whatever the UW coaching staff recommends.

For McMillan, he could be back with the Huskies in 2024, albeit somewhat reluctantly, but he has that option.

"I don't want to speak for J-Mac but we're always supportive of him," Grubb said. "If he wants to be here next year, we certainly would love to have him again. I'm sure that does weigh in. We check in with him."

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