Panthers Rookie Receiver Looks Towards 2026 After Making Franchise History
Tetairoa McMillian has transformed the Carolina Panthers offense almost single-handedly. Being a reliable big body has helped Bryce Young progress tremendously. The Panthers are in the finishing stages of their rebuild since making the NFL Playoffs this past season. McMillian has already set a franchise record, and barring a significant injury, nothing is holding back T-Mac. Whatever the franchise decides to do in the future, they have a franchise receiver for the next five or more years.
T-Mac was the consensus wide receiver one in the 2025 NFL Draft. In college, he put together a legendary career at Arizona, arguably the best receiver in program history. The former Wildcat finished his career at Arizona with 213 receptions, 3,423 receiving yards, and 26 touchdowns. He has the most receiving yards in program history. Still, ahead of the 2025 draft, analysts identified their negatives.
To make matters worse, he lost out on the Fred Biletnikoff Award to the Heisman winner, Travis Hunter. T-Mac had more receiving yards, but ultimately fell behind Hunter in receptions and touchdowns. More criticism came primarily after his 40-yard dash time, and analysts criticized his route-running ability. ESPN’s prospect score for him was 6.40, with the note that he will be a starter in two years. The unfortunate part for McMillian in college was that star receivers were making huge splashes on a bigger stage. It is also worth noting that T-Mac was elite starting in his freshman season. He suffered from draft fatigue as he was a lock to go in the first ten picks.
The Panthers were coming off back-to-back abysmal seasons. The franchise had missed on every receiver that they brought in. They even traded up to take Xavier Legette in 2024 as a project to grow with Young. Legette’s time in Carolina has been awful, leaving the team searching for answers. Carolina had a young quarterback who needed an elite weapon to help with his development. The Panthers had to trade multiple important assets to secure Young to begin with, leaving them with a lackluster skill position. Young went on a heater to end the 2024 season, with the Panthers landing the eighth overall pick. With T-Mac still being available, Carolina jumped at their chance, drafting the best available player. The Panthers had other positions that they desperately needed to fill, with the ghosts of those gaping holes coming back to haunt them in 2025. Regardless, Carolina jumped at their chance to draft a true WR1.
T-Mac immediately began working, wowing the coaching staff during training camp. The Panthers further committed to their young receiving core of McMillian, Legette, undrafted free agent Jalen Coker, and fellow rookie Jimmy Horn. The first round pick found himself at the top of the pecking order, jumping the other receivers. When TMac hit the field in Week One, all doubts were erased. He captivated the NFL with his ability to get open at the right time and the amazing catch radius that he showcased in college. As the season went on, the growth of Young had become evident. Alongside T-Mac, a new dynamic duo was born, with the addition of Coker finding his groove in the back half of the season. The former Arizona Wildcat finished his rookie season with 70 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The first rookie receiver in franchise history to hit the 1,000-yard mark and capture an Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. The new era of the Panthers is arriving, and McMillian is at the forefront of the coming storm.
