McMillan Among Semifinalists for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year
TUCSON, Ariz. – University of Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has been selected as a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award as announced by the Maxwell Football Club today.
McMillan leads the nation in receiving yards (532) and is tied for first in receiving touchdowns (6), and second in receiving yards per game (66.5) among True Freshman. Since 1996, he is second in receiving yards among Freshman at Arizona. This is the first Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalist selection for McMillan. He is the only freshman from the Pac-12 among the 14 semifinalists.
The Servite High School product from Waimanalo, Hawai'i, has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week two times this season. The first honor was following a five-reception 90-yard performance against Colorado on Oct. 1, and the second weekly award was following a career-high seven-reception 132-receiving-yard two-touchdown effort at Washington on Oct. 15.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. The award's Past winners include Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020, and Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award watch list will incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast led by LSU with 2 candidates and 12 schools represented by one candidate.
Finalists for the 5th annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award will be announced on December 6, 2022, and the award winner will be announced on December 29, 2022. The formal presentation of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in March of 2023.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalists are listed below alphabetically by school.
| First Name | Last Name | Position | School |
| Terrion | Arnold | DB | Alabama |
| Tetairoa | McMillan | WR | Arizona |
| Richard | Reese | RB | Baylor |
| Malaki | Starks | DB | Georgia |
| Gabe | Jacas | LB | Illinois |
| Deone | Walker | DL | Kentucky |
| Harold | Perkins Jr. | LB | LSU |
| Will | Campbell | OL | LSU |
| Jaishawn | Barham | LB | Maryland |
| Drake | Maye | QB | North Carolina |
| Quinshon | Judkins | RB | Ole Miss |
| Abdul | Carter | LB | Penn State |
| Nick | Emmanwori | DB | South Carolina |
| Kelvin | Banks Jr. | OL | Texas |
McMillan and the Wildcats face the Utah Utes on Saturday, Nov. 5 in Salt Lake City. The kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. (MST) and the game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks.