Wide receiver Jalen McMillan could be the player that takes the Bucs’ 2024 draft from being a good class to a great class. With Tampa Bay’s need to find a reliable third wide receiver after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan is going to get every opportunity to show he’s the next best find through the draft at the position, following in the footsteps of Evans and Godwin.

Jalen McMillan doesn’t just want to be play an important role in helping the Bucs, he wants to do it with a bit of style and showmanship. The idea of being a factor in the Bucs’ offense early in his career as a rookie is an idea that he’s fully embraced.

“Oh, I love it,” Jalen McMillan said. “I feel like I’ve been doing that my whole life, just playing up and, having to meet expectations. I’m excited to put on a show for you all.”

Jalen McMillan Came Up Clutch For The Huskies

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo courtesy of Washington

Given the success that the University of Washington had least season making it to the national championship, Jalen McMillan has played in a fair amount of big-time games.

Yet McMillan doesn’t just show up, though, he thrives in them.

In the PAC-12 Championship game against Oregon, McMillan dominated the evening, making a game-high nine catches for 131 yards (14.6 yards avg.) as the Huskies beat the Ducks, 34-31. In the Sugar Bowl against Texas, McMillan recorded five catches for 58 yards and scored a crucial touchdown in the third quarter to put Washington up 28-21 at the time. It was the last touchdown that Washington scored, as the Huskies hit a couple more field goals and won, 37-31.

And although the National Championship game didn’t go the way they wanted to as the Huskies lost to the Michigan Wolverines, it was McMillan who scored the only touchdown for his team in the 34-13 outcome.

Playing in these big moments and making tons of splash plays is something McMillan is used to. The moment has never been too big for him and he’s usually shined brightest on the biggest of stages.

“Throughout Washington the whole standard in the room was to to make the stadium go boom,” Jalen McMilan said. “People come into the stadium with expectations and you’re supposed to meet them and let their emotions soar. So every time we focus on that and, whether it’s me or my teammate, I mean, that’s just the goal. It made me feel amazing (making big plays). That’s one of my goals – just to change the whole dynamic of the stadium.”

Patience For The Right Moment

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: USA Today

Not everything was perfect for Jalen McMillan last year during Washington’s perfect season. He had to miss four games during the middle of the year because of a knee injury, which he says he’s 100% healthy now. Patience was a virtue, as he had to wait for the right time to contribute to a great Washington team down the stretch. In his absence, other wide receivers like Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk emerged as the top targets for quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

The wait was worth it, as he thrived in the pressure moments late in the season. In a way, it was a benefit to the Bucs as they did only believed he fell that far into the third round because of the injuries. McMillan’s draft stock tumbled as did his statistics in his final season at Washington due to his knee injury. He led the team with 79 catches for 1,098 yards (13.9 avg.) and a team-high nine touchdowns in 2022, but had only 45 receptions for 559 yards (12.4 avg.) and five touchdowns last season.

“Ja’Lynn Polk, he kind of emphasized that to me – to always be ready,” McMillan said. “I was rushing back from the injury trying to get back and I would always re-aggravate it. So he told me to take time off and they’re going to need me for a stretch. I really emphasized that, reading the Bible, and praying about it. Me being able to do that, that was just something that I manifested.”

Now McMillan is taking his big-play ability from the West Coast to the East Coast and is ready to help the Bucs fire the cannons this fall.