‘How do you stop a guy like that?’
McMillan’s stardom reaching new heights in UW’s offense
By Ethan Kilbreath The Daily
Jalen
McMillan
made it clear following the season-opening win over Boise State: quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has his Heisman vote.
It’s hard to argue with his choice: Penix’s 450 yards passing and five touchdowns justified all the preseason hype that he could be the first UW player to ever claim college football’s top individual prize. But Penix wasn’t the only one who looked worthy of a trip to New York City last Saturday; McMillan staked his own claim as the most outstanding player in college football in the 56-19 win.
To summarize, the Fresno, Calif. native hauled in eight passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns, and took a 19-yard rush to the house for a third touchdown. Oh yeah, he also threw a pass — a 9-yard completion.
“He’s such a weapon,” junior wide receiver Rome Odunze said. “He can throw the ball, he can run the ball, he can catch the ball. How do you stop a guy like that?”
The Boise State secondary was asking itself that same question all game long, but the truth is that, of all the highlights McMillan compiled, he couldn’t help but lament the rare occasion in which he was stopped. On a third and goal with under 8 minutes remaining in the game, Penix found McMillan, who fought his way forward but was ultimately corralled at the goal line.
“I want that one back so bad,” McMillan said. “Inches, man, inches.”
Alas, he’ll have to settle for his hat trick of touchdowns, in which he put his versatility on full display.
“I think it just comes from my multiple sport background,” McMillan said. “Playing baseball and track and football, getting after it my whole life.”
It’s not as if to say McMillan’s season opener surprised anyone — last season, he caught 79 passes for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. That was the follow up act to a solid 2021, in which he was a rare bright spot
on an otherwise dismal offense, hauling in 39 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns. But now, McMillan is in year two alongside Penix, and year three or four alongside some of his fellow wide receivers, meaning that the chemistry has reached an apex within the offense.
“It’s gone up a whole new level,” McMillan said. “We had a whole offseason to just throw to each other and just pick up speed and hang out with each other, so we have chemistry on and off the field.”
That chemistry, combined with talent and execution, has become fully evident when Washington’s receivers harmoniously fly around the field. As former U.S. President Harry Truman once said, “It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
President Truman would have been proud of this Huskies’ offense. Because the reality is that McMillan isn’t a solo actor — he’s part of a star studded receiving corps that includes Odunze. But McMillan wasn’t joking about having chemistry — UW’s pair of potential first-round pick receivers don’t care who’s at the receiving end of the football, so long as they continue to open up opportunities for each other.
“We’re unselfish with it,” Odunze said. “We know that sometimes our routes get other people open, and when it’s time to make plays and our number is called, we like to make those plays because we know it helps us feed off one another.”
Last Saturday’s display looked like clockwork — between McMillan, Odunze, sophomore Ja’Lynn Polk, sophomore Germie Bernard, senior Jack Westover, and others, it felt like someone was always open for the Huskies, often for a large chunk play down the field. But just as UW’s showstopping receiving group isn’t solely reliant on McMillan, the Huskies’ offensive engine isn’t just powered by
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their receivers.
“Team effort — O-Line blocking, protection,” McMillan said. “Coaches are harping us all the time to try to be perfect and be elite at our job, so that’s what we try to do.”
McMillan, for one, was elite at his job as the Huskies romped over the Broncos. But is it possible for him to do even more?
“I don’t know if there is much more,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “He’s one of the biggest gym rats on our football team, he’s always catching jugs machines, footballs, tennis balls, watching film. All that work paid off [Saturday], because you saw him doing a lot of different things.”
If it is possible for him to fill any more roles within the offense, McMillan himself had an idea or two.
“I just love helping my team,” McMillan said. “At the end of the day, they could have me block, they could have me at fullback, I’ll do whatever it takes for the team to win.”
Convincing DeBoer to put McMillan at fullback might be a tough one to sell. But over at wide receiver, McMillan has done more than enough to uplift the Huskies’ prolific offense.
Reach Sports Editor Ethan Kilbreath at sports@dailyuw.com.
Twitter: @EthanArles
Nathan Goh The Daily
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# NAME
1 Braylon Braxton QB 6’ 2’’ 222 R-So. Frisco, Texas / Independence
1 Kendarin Ray S 6’ 3’’ 213 Gr. Brenham, Texas / Brenham
2 Jehlen Cannady NS 5’ 11’’ 182 R-Jr. Macon, Ga. / Westside / Georgia
2 Nick Rempert
6’ 1’’ 184 Sr. Batavia, Ill. / Batavia / Tyler JC
3 Reggie Ellis CB 6’ 0’’ 186 R-Sr. Houston, Texas / Aldine Davis HS
3 Bill Jackson RB 5’ 9’’ 195 R-So. St. Louis, Mo. / Cardinal Ritter College Prep
4 Tyree Carlisle CB 6’ 0’’ 181 Sr. LaGrange, Ga. / Troup County HS / Independence CC
4 Marquis Shoulders
5 Keuan Parker
5’9’’ 170 R-So. Katy, Texas / Katy Tompkins
5’ 9’’ 174 R-So. Tulsa, Okla. / Booker T. Washington
5 Braylin Presley RB 5’ 6’’ 170 So. Bixby, Okla. / Bixby HS
6 Jordan Ford RB 5’ 9’’ 191 R-Sr. Atlanta, Ga./ Notre Dame (Chattanooga, Tenn.) / Garden City CC
7 Xavier Lanier DB 6’ 2’’
7 Cardell Williams QB 6’ 2’’ 191 R-Fr. Houston, Texas / Westfield
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25 Jaise
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32 Scott Stanford P 5’ 10’’ 193 R-Fr. Katy, Texas / Seen Lakes HS
33 William Alexander
34 Waylon Adams TE 6’ 3’’ 248 R-So. Jenks, Okla. / Jenks
34 Elijah Wilson LB 6’ 0’’ 233 Fr. Duncanville, Texas / Duncanville
35 Connor Cook DS 6’ 1’’ 196 R-Fr. Dothan, Ala. / Dothan
35 Mari Smith WR 5’ 11’’ 160 Fr. Fort Smith, Ark. / Northside HS
35 C.J. Turner DB 6’ 0’’ 225 Fr. Star City, Ark. / Star City
37 Brant McNear DB 5’ 11’’ 165 Fr. Ellicott City, Md. / Howard
38 Jair Murphy DB 6’ 0’’ 190 Fr. Ocoee, Fla. / Dr. Phillips
39 Dayne Hodge S 5’ 10’’ 190 R-So. Rock Island, Ill. / Assumption
40 Mitchell Kulkin LB 6’ 0’’ 218 Gr. Jenks, Okla. / Jenks
41 Dorian Hopkins LB 6’ 0’’ 226 R-Sr. Memphis, Tenn. / University School
41 Camden Peck TE 5’ 11’’ 235 Fr. Edmond, Okla. / Edmond Memorial
43 Bryson Rouse DB 5’ 10’’ 178 Fr. Edmond, Okla. / Deer Creek HS
44 Joseph Anderson DL 6’ 0’’ 281 Gr. Anadarko, Okla. / Anadarko
46 Bershard Glaspie Jr. LB 6’ 2’’ 212 R-Sr. Mesquite, Texas / Mesquite Poteet HS
46 Caleb Matthews LS 5’ 11’’ 209 R-So. Farmington, Ark. / Farmington
47 Kyron Grayson CB 6’ 1’’ 175 R-Fr. Beggs, Okla. / Beggs
47 Ethan Hall TE 6’ 3’’ 246 R-Sr. Bixby, Okla. / Bixby HS
48 Owen Ostroski DL 6’ 2’’ 253 R-So. Tulsa, Okla. / Holland Hall
49 Eli McWilliams LB 6’ 2’’ 236 R-Fr. Hulbert, Okla. / Tahlequah
50 Gabe Cantu OL 6’ 4’’ 299 R-Jr. Catoosa, Okla. / Tulsa Union
50 Connor Strudwick LB 6’ 4’’ 214 R-Fr. Sturgis, Mich. / Sturgis HS
51 Tautai Lio Marks OL 6’ 1’’ 304 R-Jr. Santa Ana, Calif. / Mater Dei / Colorado State
52 Duvan Boshoff DL 6’ 4’’ 243 R-Fr. Tulsa, Okla. / Regent Prep
52 Kasen Carpenter OL 6’ 3’’ 288 Fr. Allen, Texas / Allen
54 Cade Lopez LB 6’ 1’’ 215 R-So. Salina, Kan. / Central
54 Walter Young Bear OL 6’ 3’’ 306 R-So. Norman, Okla. / Norman North
56 Will Farniok OL 6’ 3’’ 296 Sr. Sioux Falls, S.D. / Washington HS / Nebraska
57 Zaid Hamden DL 6’ 0’’ 268 Gr. Mason, Ohio / William Mason
57 Kai-Leon Herbert OL 6’ 5’’ 302 Gr. Plantation, Fla. / American Heritage / Miami (Fla.)
58 Denver Hanna DL 6’ 3’’ 261 R-Fr. Edmond, Okla. / Deer Creek
61 Bennett Ringleb OL 6’ 4’’ 288 Fr. Tulsa, Okla. / Union
65 Rey Burnett OL 6’ 5’’ 304 Jr. Edmond, Okla. / Santa Fe High School
66 Will Morris OL 6’ 3’’ 281 Fr. Edmond, Okla. / Edmond Memorial
69 Brody Wisecarver OL 6’ 4’’ 306 R-So. Chesterfield, Mo. / Osage / Illinois
71 Tanyon Zachary
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GOLDEN HURRICANES
‘I’ll always be their number one
fan’
Elijah Jackson and Makell Esteen’s support extends beyond Seattle
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
For the first time in weeks, head coach Travis Clark left the Lawndale High School football facility before nightfall.
It’s Labor Day, and as he locks up the field following a morning practice, Clark’s mind isn’t preoccupied with the gritty win his team pulled off a few nights ago, the upcoming rivalry game on the schedule, or even any particular moment from Monday’s practice.
Instead, he’s thinking about a cornerback in his fourth year on a college campus — Elijah Jackson.
It’s been some time since Jackson has stepped onto a football field with Clark at the helm, but that hardly means the young corner has stopped learning from his former coach. After Saturday’s performance against Boise State, Clark was one of the first people Jackson called.
More often than not, Jackson isn’t alone on these calls. Another fellow Lawndale graduate who patrols the Husky secondary, sophomore safety Makell Esteen, is always eager to catch up with a figure closer to a family member than coach.
“I’m still in major communication with those two,” Clark said. “I talk to them as often as I possibly can because they know that I’m a big-time supporter, I’m always talking to their parents, I’m definitely really close with them. Those are like my nephews or my second kids. I’m like a stepdad to them, or an uncle, so our relationship is amazing. They can call me for anything.”
The two began their playing career together as juniors, with their breathtaking athletic and mental capabilities on full display from the jump. It didn’t take long before Clark transitioned the pair into two-way players, creating a lasting impact on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
“Those guys are special,” Clark said. “Elijah is more of an athletic freak in terms of size, speed, strength, vertical jump; he’s just a freak. A 6’2”, 200-pound cornerback running a 4.3 with a 40-inch vertical; he’s just a freak athlete. And Makell is so cerebral; he was a heady football player, and he just understands the sport and is such an instinctive player.”
Esteen’s natural instincts were
particularly apparent with his ball-hawking abilities throughout his high school career, where he secured 19 total interceptions across his first three seasons with Lawndale. But he wasn’t just inflating his numbers against tawdry non-league opponents.
He was doing it when it mattered most.
Take, for instance, the 2018 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championship game against San Joaquin Memorial High School from Fresno, Calif. — a game where he would play against future Husky wideout Jalen McMillan.
With the game winding down, Esteen nabbed an interception late to help seal a 20-12 victory and a state championship for Lawndale, their first CIF Southern Section title since 1966.
It wouldn’t take long before Washington extended an offer to Los Angeles’ next bona fide star.
But while Esteen’s abilities reflected on the stat sheet, Jackson’s capabilities were still incredibly raw. At his previous stop, Narbonne High School, Jackson purely operated as a wide receiver. It wasn’t until his transfer to Lawndale ahead of his junior season that he stepped into the corner position for the first time.
Despite his relative inexperience, Washington extended an offer to the fast, lanky prospect, looking to shore up the depth of an already loaded secondary room underneath former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake with talent that could be developed.
And with the Hollywood background just miles away, it only seems fitting that in this made-forTV script, two best friends would come together to choose the same college to spend four more years together. But in this instance, that just wasn’t the case.
The decision largely stemmed from what they liked in the recruiting pitch, the chance to play for a perennial title contender and to compete in what could be classified as “Defensive Back University.” Sure, the two were close — they likely saw each other on the football field more than they saw their own families — but that special connection hadn’t been forged yet.
That was until they arrived on Montlake.
“But I think coming here just made us like brothers in arms, way closer than we were in high school,” Esteen said.
The duo roomed together when they arrived in Seattle in 2020, slowly growing closer together amid a global pandemic. Clark watched the bond begin to blossom firsthand as the trio regularly engaged in FaceTime calls to lend insight into the commencement of their collegiate football journeys.
But these calls were hardly egotistical; neither E.J. nor Esteen have to share their personal highlights from the offseason — the other one already has it covered.
“If I call Makell, he’s pumping up E.J., and if I call E.J., he’s pumping up Makell,” Clark said.
And as of late, the pair have plenty of good news to share, with the two taking advantage of a second full offseason under head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff — both on the field and off.
For Esteen, this meant a revolutionized nutrition and strength regiment, courtesy of director of nutrition Alison VandenBerghe and head strength and conditioning coach Rob McKeefery.
“As a football player, I always relied on talent,” Esteen said. “But then it hit me that I actually do have to put on weight if I want to be successful on the football field.”
Esteen arrived in Seattle at around 170 pounds, a weight that would’ve landed him as the secondlightest on the team. Now, after a full offseason, Esteen has touched as high as 197, a weight that lends itself to bigger hits on the field, a perfect complement to his stellar ball-tracking abilities.
Meanwhile, Jackson has begun to break through at the cornerback position, leaning on the knowledge he’s gained from stalwarts such as Trent McDuffie, Brendan Radley-Hiles, and Kyler Gordon to transcend into an experienced veteran.
“I definitely feel like an older guy in the room,” Jackson said. “I feel like it’s my time to give back to the program; guys like [Keith Taylor], Elijah Molden, Trent [McDuffie], Kyler Gordon, all of them gave back to me when they were older, so I have my time, now that I’m older, to pass down my knowledge and that’s my role.”
“He’s bigger, he’s added it all,”
cornerbacks coach Julius Brown said. “[He] and I talked and set up a plan for the summer, and he hit every mark we set.”
While Jackson has taken a liking to the role of leader, he was also awarded the title of starting cornerback, granting him the opportunity to line up alongside junior Jabbar Muhammad on Saturdays. It was by no means a perfect game in his starting debut against Boise State, but DeBoer is already drawing positives from what he saw.
“Elijah has come so far,” DeBoer said. “He went out there and he played hard and played aggressive and confident. He’s got one game under his belt, and I think he’s a good example of a guy that will gain confidence and grow from week one to week two.”
And while Esteen is still slotted behind senior safety Dominique Hampton on the depth chart, his tremendous growth keeps DeBoer’s hands tied in his ability to keep him off the field.
“He’s a really smart player and we felt that from day one,” DeBoer said. “And I think now with a little more horsepower and a little more speed from another offseason, he’s done a nice job. I feel very confident with him out on the football field.”
But even as the two players blossom in Seattle, their connection with Clark only grows stronger. This October, Clark hopes to make it up to Seattle for a game, to finally take in the scene at Washington and to watch his two young men, his “nephews,” play live at the college level.
Make no mistake, even though Clark spends his days in Los Angeles, he’s still locked in on Washington. Lawndale’s colors may be red and black, but at least on Saturdays, it bleeds purple and gold.
“These kids are tremendously special to me,” Clark said. “Words can’t even describe how special they are to me, and it’s not about them being football players, I just love them as individuals. They’re going to be a part of my life for the rest of my life, and I hope I’m a part of theirs. I’ll always be their number one fan.”
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ty_gilstrap
Evan Morud The Daily
The Daily’s picks for UW vs. Boise State
Score and prediction?
Battle Royale
I guess my prediction of covering the spread and winning by 15 last week wasn’t enough. I’ll try to avoid underselling this offense by predicting a 52-14 win in objectively the easiest game on UW’s schedule.
This is certainly no knock on Tulsa’s dominating 42-7 victory over the University of Arkansas at Pine-Bluff (UAPB) last week, but the last time UAPB played a Power Five opponent, well, it wasn’t particularly close, as they fell 63-7 to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. With that said, I’m not putting much stock into last week, and I’ll say Washington covers the spread — easily. I’ll take a 48-10 victory in front of the 25 people watching on the Pac-12 Network.
There is certainly a possibility where Washington starts out slow again; however, I don’t think Tulsa has nearly enough firepower to make the Huskies pay. I like the Huskies in this one, so I’ll go big, 48-13, and while we’re at it, sprinkle in another Jack Westover touchdown.
Call me paranoid but I don’t want to write this one off just yet. Maybe those first 15 minutes last week shot my nerves for the season. 35-21, UW takes it.
Michael Penix Jr. now holds three of the top four single-game passing marks in Washington history. Will he surpass Cody Pickett’s 455-yard mark to nab the final spot Saturday?
What’s your best guess for what a Golden Hurricane is?
In honor of Seattle Music Heritage Day at Husky Stadium, what would the name be of Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb, and Michael Penix Jr.’s band?
3-2-1,
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
3 Numbers to Know:
It really just depends how long he stays in the game. I think there’s a very strong chance we see D-Mo in the fourth quarter, in which case Penix may end just shy of the 455 mark. Make no mistake, though, Penix will have the opportunity to set plenty of records this season.
I don’t know, but looking at whatever the hell their new mascot is certainly didn’t clear up my confusion.
Surprisingly, of Washington’s top 30 single-game passing performances, only two have come against non-Power Five conference opponents. Additionally, only 11 have come across non-Pac-12 foes. History indicates Penix Jr. won’t eclipse the mark on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come soon.
Tulsa adopting a nickname with “Hurricanes” in it makes about as much sense as Washington debuting as the “Tornadoes” next season. For this reason, the nickname must reference Tulsa’s 75-foot tall “Golden Driller” statue, which is the sixth tallest statue in the United States and certainly… something.
Hopefully “Guns N’ Rose Bowls” will be a fitting one if it all works out for the Huskies this season.
“Moving the Chains” feels like a fitting band name for a trio that has drawn national attention to Montlake with their historic passing offense, much like “Alice in Chains” did with Seattle’s grunge scene a little over 30 years ago.
If Penix is able to play the entire game, which I hope does not happen, shattering the record would be easier than Shaq shattering a backboard, but in reality, Penix will most likely be sitting out most of the fourth quarter, so the chances of the record breaking Saturday are slim in my opinion.
After seeing the new Tulsa mascot, which Ethan alluded to earlier, a Golden Hurricane to me just looks like a happy cinnamon roll with arms and legs. Now I don’t think this is what the Tulsa athletic department was aiming for, but, to be fair, it is quite creative.
Like Ty, I’m also going to take influence from Seattle’s grunge history and say the name of the band would be “Temple of the Dawg,” an ode to “Temple of the Dog,” a combination of two legendary Seattle rock groups “Pearl Jam” and “Soundgarden.” Just like the two bands, when Ryan Grubb and Kalen DeBoer put their minds together, something magical usually happens.
I think he can do it. I definitely agree that of all the games this is one where backups (hopefully) have plenty of time to shine in the second half, but I have a feeling we’re going to remember this one for a long time.
I’ll take a stab at it and say when a pack of golden retrievers start chasing each others’ tails? I don’t know, I feel like Oklahoma should worry more about dust bowls than hurricanes.
“Guns N’ Rose Bowls” is a tough act to follow. Like, really tough. I’ll give a nod to one of Seattle’s most iconic artists and go with “Pend(dr)ix and the O-Line.”
Football: The Daily’s Primer on Tulsa
517: Tulsa amassed 517 yards of total offense in its season-opening win over the University of Arkansas at Pine-Bluff (UAPB). Across the three games in which the Golden Hurricanes surpassed the 500-yard mark last season, they recorded a combined 139 points.
100: Two players eclipsed the 100-yard mark for Tulsa on Saturday, with redshirt senior running back Jordan Ford recording 114 yards on the ground and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Marquis Shoulders amassing 132 receiving yards against the Golden Lions. It was the first 100-yard performance in either of their careers.
26-47: Kevin Wilson’s record as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, his only other tenure at the helm of a collegiate program. After six years as an offensive coordinator and tight end coach at Ohio State University, he was hired to lead the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes on Dec. 6, 2022.
2 Players to Watch:
Ben Kopenski: The 6’1”, 255-pound defensive lineman wreaked havoc all day Saturday, recording 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and two sacks against UAPB. These were all career highs for the Oklahoma State transfer, who received the vast majority of his playing time on special teams in Stillwater after walking on to the team in 2018. After a solid debut from Washington’s offensive line against Boise State, Kopenski will provide a formidable challenge in keeping senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. upright.
Kendarin Ray: The Golden Hurricanes’ safety now has 232 career tackles after recording his eighth double-digit tackling performance on Saturday. He’ll be a player
to watch as the Huskies look to open up the game over the top, but there’s no need to be wary of a potential turnover threat, as Ray has racked up just four forced fumbles and an interception in 31 career games.
1 Recap of Last Week
You’d be hard-pressed to find too many similarities between the Washington and Tulsa football programs, but on Saturday, both squad’s season-openers followed a similar script. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Braylon Braxton was tapped as the starter for the Golden Hurricanes this past offseason, but promptly opened up the game with two interceptions on four attempts before leaving the game with an ankle injury. Intermixed in the catastrophic start was a fumble on a kickoff to create an early 7-0 deficit to UAPB.
But it didn’t take long before the floodgates opened in the second quarter, as the Golden Hurricanes racked up four touchdowns in just 14 minutes to sprint to a 28-7 lead. The offensive flurry was largely due to the play of redshirt freshman quarterback Cardell Williams, who led a charge off the bench with 233 yards, three touchdowns, and no turnovers.
Wilson escaped unscathed in his coaching debut, delivering a 42-7 win and a 1-0 start for the Golden Hurricanes. With the departures of Cincinnati, Houston, and the University of Central Florida, Tulsa will look to take advantage of a weakened American Athletic Conference in the pursuit of its first bowl appearance since the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2021.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap
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SPORTS EDITOR
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