Tetairoa McMillan is the best wide receiver in Arizona Wildcats history. That’s no longer a debate.
But where does he rank among all Wildcats?
As he prepares to play his final game – Saturday at home against Arizona State – he already has the most receiving yards in school history (3,355) in only three seasons and is the program’s first finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which he definitely deserves to win.
I’ve set out to determine a top 10 list of all-time Wildcats. I’ll give you my 10 in order and then let you vote in a poll in which you rank an assortment of 20 Arizona legends, with consideration only for how they played at Arizona, not in the NFL.
(SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF STORY — after reading it, of course — TO FIND POLL)
As for my list, I consider the top four to be a protected class of College Football Hall of Famers. After that, it gets trickier.
Here we go.
1. LB Ricky Hunley (1980-83): Two-time consensus All-American and is still the Wildcats’ career leader in tackles (566). First-team All-Pac-10 three times.
2. FS Chuck Cecil (1984-87): Consensus All-American in 1987 and is the school record-holder with 21 interceptions, as well as the author of the greatest play in Wildcats history, as voted on by PHNX readers.
3. DT Rob Waldrop (1990-93): Unanimous All-American in 1993, when he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman and the inaugural Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defender in the country. Consensus All-American in 1992, when the Desert Swarm defense was born. “I’m convinced there would not have been a Desert Swarm defense without Rob Waldrop,” said former Wildcats linebacker Brant Boyer.
4. DE Tedy Bruschi (1991-95): The flamboyant counterpart to Waldrop as an edge rusher, Bruschi racked up 52 career sacks and was twice a first-team All-American.
5. CB Chris McAlister (1996-98): In the list of freakiest athletes I’ve seen in the past 40 years or so, it’s McAlister, McMillan and Rob Gronkowski. Why McAlister? Out of the award winners and NFL stars coached by Duane Akina, McAlister is still the standard. Somehow, he intercepted 18 passes in three seasons despite opponents never wanting to throw in his direction.
6. WR Tetairoa McMillan (2022-24): He’s got it all – height, hands, route running, catch radius, speed, yards after catch – and it’s easy to see him as a top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
7. RB Art Luppino (1953-56): Was the brightest football star in Arizona history until the 1980s, leading the nation in rushing in 1954 and 1955 before a knee injury scuttled much of his senior season. Still epic: The “Cactus Comet” rushed for 228 yards on only six carries, scoring on runs of 37, 48, 74 and 53 yards, against New Mexico State in 1954, also scoring on an 88-yard kick return.
8. C Joe Tofflemire (1985-88): The only offensive player in school history to be selected first-team All-Pac-10/12 three times. The four-year starter earned first- or second-team All-America honors three times. “He was a giant among players of his generation,” Wildcats coach Dick Tomey once told me.
9. CB Darryll Lewis (1987-90): After starting 10 games at running back in 1987, secondary coach Duane Akina saw something special in D-Lew as a cornerback, where he became a big-play machine and the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award in 1990.
10. LB Byron Evans (1983-86): The Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1986. Counting bowl games (which the UA record book does not), Evans remarkably twice had more than 200 tackles in a season – 211 in 1985 and 210 in 1986.
Other Wildcats to consider
There are some really excellent choices remaining, although I do not give you Gronkowski as an option. He’d be No. 1 on the list of Wildcats in the NFL (that’s a ranking for another time), but his too-short Arizona career isn’t worthy of this list.
So, here are some short bios on 10 more guys to consider, in alphabetical order:
LB Lance Briggs (1999-2002): Three-time first-team All-Pac-10 linebacker, leading the Wildcats in tackles all three seasons after playing fullback as a freshman.
RB Ka’Deem Carey (2011-13): Led the nation in rushing in 2012 (148.4 yards per game) and was second a year later (157.1 ypg). A workhorse back with uncanny vision, his 4,239 career rushing yards are the Wildcats record.
CB Antoine Cason (2004-07): The winner of the Jim Thorpe Award in 2007, when he was a consensus All-American, finishing with 15 career interceptions. Also a dangerous punt returner.
DT Mike Dawson (1972-75): The defensive leader on the Wildcats’ superb mid-70s’ team of coach Jim Young, Dawson compiled 37 tackles for loss in his final three seasons. Earned second-team AP All-American honors in 1975 and was twice All-WAC.
QB Nick Foles (2009-11): The most prolific QB in school history, with 10,011 passing yards and is tied with Willie Tuitama with 67 career touchdown passes.
RB Vance Johnson (1981-84): He would go on to fame as part of the Denver Broncos’ “Three Amigos” receiving corps, but he led the Wildcats in rushing in 1981 and 1982 and was a big-play threat (20 rushing TDs, 11 receiving) that spoke louder than his numbers.
LB Chris Singleton (1986-89): Twice a first-team All-Pac-10 pick and a second-team All-American as a senior, when he made 10 sacks.
WR Dennis Northcutt (1996-99): The Wildcats’ top receiver until T-Mac came along, Northcutt set the school season receiving record with 1,422 yards as a senior, when he also led the country in punt returns (18.96-yard average).
CB Jackie Wallace (1970-72): A first-team All-American in 1972 and one of the Wildcats’ top playmakers of any era. He intercepted 20 passes – 19 in his final two seasons – and scored four times on punt returns.
LB Scooby Wright (2013-15): Authored one of the greatest defensive seasons in school lore, with 163 tackles, including 29 for loss and 14 sacks as a sophomore, when he won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards, and finished ninth in Heisman voting.
VOTE for the top Wildcats in school history
OK, now it’s your turn. Drag and drop the players in the order you’d like and then hit the blue SUBMIT button at the bottom of the form. I’ll let you know the results in a future story. Enjoy!
If having trouble using the form below, vote at this link.
Top photo: Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has a way of making defensive backs look small. (Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images)
