The Red Raiders are headed to Tucson, Arizona for the first Big 12 road game of the season this Saturday against the Arizona Wildcats.
Texas Tech will get its first dose of a first round receiver talent in 2024, not the first time Tech has seen someone who eventually became a first round pick under head coach Joey McGuire, but the most talented weapon on the perimeter Tech has faced yet.
Tetairoa McMillian is a very impressive player, a former five-star recruit in the class of 2022 out of Anaheim, California, who is now college teammates with his high school quarterback, Noah Fifita. McMillan flipped from Oregon to Arizona in December of 2021.
McMillan, also playing volleyball and basketball in high school, has always been a lengthy wide-out with excellent ball skills, but has really physically matured during his time in college and came into the season with lofty expectations.
Those expectations came on with a massive showing in the 2023 Alamo Bowl where Arizona defeated SEC-bound Oklahoma 38-24, where McMillan reeled in ten receptions for 160 yards, showing off that connection with Fifita, who had a strong back half of the season.
McMillan has Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire's attention coming into the matchup, understanding the threat that he poses coming into the matchup on Saturday, something that will be a massive challenge for the young Red Raider secondary.
"They have probably the best, one of the best, if not the best, wide receiver in college football, number four, McMillan," McGuire said. "Four is really going to test us, their big receiver, so just trying to find how we can match up."
For defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, it's about finding a way to contain McMillan, which he believes could start up front in containing the mobile Fifita.
"We got to give up less explosives. Unfortunately, this is a team with TMac and Fifita," DeRuyter said. "They do a great job in the scramble drill. Is really when they're most explosive, they continue plays, and he finds a way to find him."
"You know, you got a big, long receiver. He's very physical, makes contested catches, and he can run away from people. He's probably a first round draft pick receiver, and you know his high school quarterback is now his college quarterback. They got a great rapport, and they do a great job of targeting him and finding him."
The Red Raider secondary has been lackluster this season, something that the Red Raider coaching staff is still hoping to figure out, playing plenty of youth in the backend that has really been called on at points this season.
"Minus a couple plays in the game Saturday night, I thought Macho (Stevenson) played well. (Maurion) Horn's playing really well. He's really physical, I mean, that's one thing that I think is showing up," McGuire said. "Us having that depth has allowed us to, you know, stay in some games."
A large part of the reason the depth has been thrust into action is that Bralyn Lux, Tech's most experienced corner, missing three of five games to start the season with a thigh injury.
"I think you look at the stats of the games he's been out, we haven't played real good pass coverage. Not to disparage the guys have come in. You know, we're just playing with younger guys," DeRuyter said.
The Red Raiders are hopeful to see it's lead corner back on the field this weekend against the Wildcats, which could go a long way to help stop McMillan on Saturday.
"I'm really optimistic that we're going to get Lux back," McGuire said on Monday. "He was running this morning, you know, I hadn't got the report yet of how he felt and everything, but I think that'll help."
