Carolina Panthers make Tet McMillan a surprise Top 10 NFL Draft pick

Tetairoa McMillan, better known as T-Mac, was a matchup nightmare in high school

Former Servite football standout, Tetairoa McMillan, is expected to be a 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick. / Connor Morrissette

Tetairoa McMillan was like Megatron at Servite High School in California.

Big, athletic catches every Friday night. He made the same catches on Saturdays — and now we'll see them on Sundays. McMillan surprised many when he was selected at No. 8 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Thursday night in Green Bay, by the Carolina Panthers.

McMillan, better known as T-Mac, was a matchup nightmare in high school.

His 6-foot-4 athletic frame, combined with his lean, long limbs gave him the foundation to be a human highlight reel anytime the ball was cast in the air.

His quarterback in high school was also his quarterback at Arizona, Noah Fifita.

When Fifita and McMillan were seniors at Servite, they anchored one of the program's best seasons in recent memory under coach Troy Thomas.

The Friars went 10-3, including 3-2 in the Trinity League, which is known to be the best high school football league in the country.

The two led Servite to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game after knocking off national power St. John Bosco, 40-21.

McMillan had mind-boggling numbers, hauling in 88 receptions for 1,302 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games.

The season ended with a 27-7 loss to national juggernaut Mater Dei, but that Servite team will always be remembered for giving high school football fans in Southern California something different in the Division 1 final other than another Mater Dei-St. John Bosco showdown.

Coming out of high school, McMillan was a 4-star prospect. He was ranked the No. 4 wideout nationally, and the No. 37 overall prospect regardless of position.

The three wideouts ranked above McMillan were Evan Stewart, who is currently at Oregon; Chris Marshall, who is currently at Boise State after suspensions at Texas A&M and Ole Miss; and Luther Burden III, who went to Missouri and is projected to be a late first- or early second-round draft selection.

McMillan is likely to be the No. 2 wideout drafted on Thursday after Colorado's Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

WHERE WILL TET GO?

Bleacher Report predicts McMillan will go No. 12 to the Dallas Cowboys.

B/R claims that with the addition to Tet, it will make it harder for NFL defenses to key in on All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb.

B/R's Dame Parson says: "McMillan is a great fit alongside Lamb," Parson said. "He plays all three wide receiver positions/alignments. A physical X-receiver with developmental potential is exactly what the Cowboys need. McMillan runs routes and separates from coverage. The 6'4" target is a ball-winner with outstanding body control, leaping ability and hand strength to make contested catches look routine."

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