Huskies WR Jalen McMillan proves ‘there’s more in the tank’ with massive season opener

SEATTLE – Jalen McMillan had more in the tank.

Which is admittedly hard to believe.

Following Washington’s Alamo Bowl win over Texas last winter, the ascendant wide receiver was working out in Washington’s weight room when head coach Kalen DeBoer approached. The Huskies’ second-year coach began discussing McMillan’s remarkable season.

But the soon-to-be junior had heard enough.

“I interrupted him and was like, ‘Coach, I’m coming back. I didn’t like how the season went for me,’ ” McMillan said.

His season included a team-high 79 catches, 1,098 receiving yards (both 15th in the nation) and nine touchdowns in 13 games. It included an iconic jump-ball catch at Oregon and a shoestring touchdown against Texas. It included 43 receptions of 10 yards or more.

And yet …

“I knew there’s more in the tank for me,” McMillan said on Aug. 9. “I know there’s more in the tank for me.”

He showed it on Saturday.

In No. 8 Washington’s 56-19 win over Boise State, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound wideout recorded eight catches for 95 yards and three touchdowns – a 7-yarder to start the season, a leaping 38-yard snag, and a direct snap he took up the gut for an untouched 19-yard rushing score.

But if you ask offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, his most impressive play was a pass.

With 12 minutes left in the third quarter, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a snap under center, looked right and tossed a lateral to McMillan 6 yards behind the line. The Fresno, California, product, corralled it, turned and located tight end Jack Westover – who amended his route after spying a safety sitting over the top.

Together, McMillan and Westover turned a possible interception into a UW first down.

“Literally the first day I saw (McMillan) on the field he was playing catch and I was like, ‘Wow, this guy legitimately can throw.’ Super talented player,” said Grubb, who also called on McMillan to complete a trick play pass to Penix in last season’s Apple Cup. “Probably as much as anything, though, you saw what he did with the play. They sat on top of it (with a high safety) and he had to check it down, basically. That’s special, it really is.

“It’s a 9-yard gain where you’re like, ‘That was one of the coolest plays of the game,’ where you can trust your guys with a play like that to make good decisions. I thought that was an elite play.”

Against Boise State, McMillan – a standout center fielder, wide receiver and track and field ace at San Joaquin Memorial High – threw, caught, ran … and returned two punts.

UW’s multitalented player had more in the tank.

Which DeBoer knew all along.

“I remember walking by the baseball field [at San Joaquin Memorial] in the spring, and I was doing some recruiting there at the high school,” said DeBoer, who held Fresno State’s head job when McMillan signed with Washington. “I remember seeing him doing outfield drills, and seeing this long, lanky guy running, tracking balls down during their practice. I didn’t meet him at that time, but I remember this athlete out there and hearing a lot about him and watching the film. By that time, he was pretty much beyond us there at Fresno. But it’s fun.

“He’s just a special kid. He’s a gym rat. A lot of guys like Saturdays. He just loves football. He’s out here watching film in the middle of the summer when the building is pretty much shut down. He’s out there catching (footballs from the) JUGS machine almost every day of the year. He just loves ball and is always trying to work on making his game better.”

When McMillan – ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 5 player in California, the No. 6 wide receiver and the No. 38 overall prospect in the 2020 class by 247Sports – signed with Washington over Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and more in 2020, DeBoer and the nearby Fresno State Bulldogs couldn’t compete.

But college football fate brought both back together.

Now they’re trying to empty the tank.

“There’s plays like that (19-yard direct snap touchdown run) where, as a coordinator, you have to decide how much squeeze is worth it,” said Grubb, who said the play rarely worked in practice. “I felt pretty strongly that play was going to be worth it based on what we’d seen. So I stuck with it. There’s just some mechanics that go with a play like that. It looks super easy, but there’s the cadence part; there’s the motion timing; there’s the receiver reading a kick-out and a wrap block by a guard and a tackle.

“But you believe in the guys. You know that once J-Mac gets the look and gets a few reps at it he’s going to be OK. But we certainly had to rep that a little bit. It doesn’t always work that way, but that one was worth the squeeze.”

Get McMillan enough reps, and he’ll deliver results.

Next up, perhaps? A punt-return TD.

“Oh yeah, it’ll happen. It’ll happen. I’m going to get one,” said McMillan, who returned four punts for 70 yards last season. “I want to do it the Oregon game.”

McMillan is a self-motivated man.

And in an offense featuring a Heisman contender at quarterback, three standout receivers, established tight ends and intimidating tackles, he’s also aiming to empty a larger tank.

“On my mirror in my bathroom, on the right side I have (written in ink) a whole bunch of quotes that I go by. On the left side I have all the reasons I play football,” McMillan said. “I really feel like, yeah, you can be a stat person. But at the end of the day numbers are just for individuals. If I do enough within myself to get better and play how I play, then I’m going to help my team.”