2024 Big 12 Player Of The Year, Week 1: Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan Eclipses All
Sep 1, 2024, 1:15 PM
BOULDER, COLORADO - AUGUST 29: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates after throwing his 100th career touchdown during the third quarter against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field on August 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The first week of the college football season features a lot of optimism, hope, and too many FBS vs. FCS games on the schedule. In the Big 12, 11 teams played a lower-division team.
Playing those types of teams led to some big-time stats and made things a little bit tricky when picking the best players in Big 12 Football this week when tracking who will be the best of the best in the conference this year.
With so many teams playing FCS teams and some players playing not full games when the score was out of hand, such as Utah’s shutout win over Southern Utah. On the other end of the pendulum, Texas Tech needed all of its starters to defeat Abilene Christian, 52-51, in overtime.
As a reminder, each week the six best players will be assigned a point total and that added up at the end of the year to determine the best player in Big 12 Football. Season-long results can be seen at the bottom of the post each week.
- First Place = Six Points
- Second Place = Five Points
- Third Place = Four Points
- Fourth Place = Three Points
- Fifth Place = Two Points
- Sixth Place = One Point
Big 12 Football Week 1 Players Of The Week
1. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
This was no contest and Tetairoa McMillan rightfully deserves to be called T-Mac. McMillan was already considered a stud for the Arizona Wildcats and he proved it in an unexpected struggle against the New Mexico Lobos before pulling away to win 61-39.
McMillan hauled in 10 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns. Three of his four scores were big plays for 69, 78, and 40 yards, respectively.
2. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Buffaloes needed every bit of Sanders to defeat upset-minded FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. He led the Big 12 in yards with 445 to go along with four scores and completed an absurd 76.5% of his passes.
His 3-yard touchdown pass to seal the game to Travis Hunter was unreal with it being thrown in such a tight window with Sanders and his wideout combining to somehow come down with the ball in the endzone.
3. Cam Rising, QB, Utah
Rising played in just one half of this game and that is all that was needed for him to make this list. When 50% of your 10 competitions go for a touchdown that is considered a big game. That career-hight five touchdown performance puts Rising on this list as one of the best performances in the Big 12.
Not that recovering from an injury matters in making this list, but this was Rising’s first game since the 2023 Rose Bowl against Penn State when he tore nearly every ligament in his knee.
First @Utah_Football TD of the Big 12 era, and it’s a beaut 🎞️#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/QdQ0yhlci8
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 30, 2024
4. Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado
Hunter is going to try to do an extraordinary thing by being a true two-way player this year for Colorado. For the night, he played 43 defensive snaps and recorded three tackles. On offense, he had seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns.
Including the game-winner that seemed like it came from a glitch from EA Sports College Football 25.
RIDICULOUS TD CATCH 😱
Make that three touchdowns for Travis Hunter tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zzohGx3ybZ
— ESPN (@espn) August 30, 2024
5. Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona
The Wildcats had a first-half struggle vs. a surprise New Mexico team, but Fifita kept Arizona in the back-and-forth first half with three touchdowns.
Arizona pulled away as Fifita ended the day with 422 yards and four touchdowns, and three of those scores were big plays of 40, 69, and 78 yards.
Noah Fifita & Tetairoa McMillan are MUST SEE television🍿
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 1, 2024
6. Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech
So… Texas Tech needed overtime to beat FCS’ Abilene Christian. The Red Raiders put up 52 points and needed every bit of Morton‘s big plays. He had five touchdowns — three came in the first half — and zero interceptions and 378 yards.
Behren Morton in a 52-51 OT win vs. Abilene Christian : 30/42 for 378 yards, career-high 5 TD’s & a 60.2 QBR pic.twitter.com/OhBgZQ62pa
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) September 1, 2024
Honorable Mention:
RJ Harvey, RB, UCF — 11 rushes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas — 112 rushing yards on eight carries and 12 touchdowns
Josh Kelly, WR, Texas Tech — 10 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown.
Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech — 153 rushing yards, one touchdown, and three catches 14 yards.
Quali Conley, RB, Arizona — 10 carries for 90 rushing yards, and three touchdowns.
Jake Retzlaff, QB, BYU — 20 for 30 for 348 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Season Results:
- Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona (Six points)
- Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (Five points)
- Cam Rising, QB, Utah (Four points)
- Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado (Three points)
- Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona (Two points)
- Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech (One point)
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