The Arizona Wildcats season hasn’t gone as planned, but some individual players have continued to perform at a high level. Of those players is Tetairoa McMillan, who’s expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

While the team hasn’t played as well as they’ve needed to, now 3-2 on the year, he has 37 receptions, 664 yards, and four touchdowns.

His 17.9 yards per catch average is among the best in college football, showing his talent. In Arizona’s recent 28-22 loss to Texas Tech, he finished with eight receptions for 161 yards.

Factor that in with a 138-yard performance against Kansas State, and he’s done everything he’s needed to for NFL Scouts to still want to draft him with that high of a pick.

While the NFL is only five weeks into the season, there’s a good feeling about the teams he could potentially join. One of those is the New England Patriots, a squad that could use his services in the near future.

With rookie quarterback Drake Maye eventually taking over under center, the need for an elite wide receiver is prevalent.

That’s why Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department mocked him to the Patriots on Monday.

“This pick comes from our latest top-10 mock draft from Brent Sobleski. As Sobleski noted, the Patriots just don’t have a go-to receiver right now with any kind of production. Ja’Lynn Polk profiles as a high-end No. 2 option. That was his role in Washington opposite Rome Odunze. Tetairoa McMillan has all the traits to be a true X receiver and would give Drake Maye a consistent downfield threat. Using a top-10 pick on a receiver when the offensive line is a mess could be a risky strategy, but there are other ways the Pats could address the offensive line.”

Adding McMillan could benefit him and Maye, but as Bleacher Report alluded, their offensive line has been one of the worst in the NFL.

Drafting a wide receiver doesn’t necessarily help if they want to give the second-year quarterback time to work in the pocket.

However, one could also argue that McMillan is a generational talent. If he ends up being the wide receiver he’s expected to be in the NFL, they could look to improve their offensive line in later rounds or free agency.

Even if he doesn’t land with New England, look for him to have his name called early on the first day of the NFL draft.

Dr. Jill Biden will be heading to Arizona later this week to campaign for Harris-Walz, marking one of several major events happening locally before the November election.

Dr. Biden is set to campaign in Yuma on Friday, Oct. 11, and in Phoenix on Saturday, Oct. 12, according to a new announcement on Tuesday morning.

More information about those events has yet to be released.

Arizona is one of several states on her campaign trip. She is also headed to Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Other campaign events are taking place in the Valley and around the state this week:

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff is holding a campaign event in Phoenix on Tuesday.

The Trump Campaign is also hosting a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Florida’s U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, Florida’s U.S. Representative Cory Mills, and Missouri’s U.S. Representative Ann Wagner.

Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, is coming to Mesa for a town hall event and Tucson on Wednesday.

Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, is heading to the Valley on Wednesday for a veterans and military families event with Representative Ruben Gallego and Jim McCain, son of former Republican Arizona Senator John McCain. He will also deliver remarks in Tucson on Wednesday.

Early voting gets underway on Wednesday in Arizona.

ABC15 has a full voter guide and the latest election coverage here.

TEMPE — Sam Leavitt is coming off maybe his best game as the signal caller for Arizona State football, culminating with a game-winning touchdown in the final minute of a win over Kansas on Saturday.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham said that’s not by accident, rather it came after Leavitt’s best week of prep.

“That kid’s put in so much work. … He was really clean. Us being able to show him all the looks two weeks in a row I think really helped him,” Dillingham said Monday. “Then he went out there and he performed. He would’ve even had a better game (if not for some drops).

“The fact that he was poised at the end of the game was, kudos to him. That moment right there is just natural, there’s no fake about it.”

Leavitt connected on 14-of-24 passes for 157 yards, giving him 1,012 passing yards on the season. His four passing touchdowns were the most by an ASU quarterback since Joey Yellen had four in a loss to USC in 2019.

His lone interception came off a double-tip by Sun Devil receivers Jordyn Tyson and Xavier Guillory which kept the quarterback’s turnover-worthy play tally at one on the season, according to PFF. He is tied with eight other FBS quarterbacks (minimum 100 dropbacks) to lead the category.

Leavitt entered the Kansas game 3-for-19 on throws that travel at least 20 yards in the air but was a much more efficient 2-for-4 in the win. Guillory was on the receiving end of the first completion which capped off an opening drive for a touchdown, while Tyson’s first of two fourth-quarter scores represented the other.

Dillingham said a tweak to Leavitt’s footwork over the bye week helped him be more balanced on Saturday and in turn, more accurate on deep balls.

kenny dillingham breaks down the early returns on sam leavitt’s footwork tweak, and his confusion with how sam explained it postgame saturday. pic.twitter.com/Mdt4ItPA9T

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) October 7, 2024

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The quarterback has been the most reliable foil to Cam Skattebo in the ground game. Leavitt’s 257 yards make him the only other Sun Devil with at least 100 rushing yards on the season. Skattebo and Leavitt both average over five yards per carry.

Deep passing and quarterback rushing will be key elements of the game plan for Friday’s matchup with No. 16 Utah to help neutralize a vicious pass rush. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham on Monday told reporters Leavitt is a “true dual-threat” quarterback.

The Utes’ pass rush averaged six pressures over the previous three games. However, they amassed 14 in their most recent game, a loss to Arizona, and 14 in their season-opening win over Southern Utah.

The most pressure ASU has faced this season was Texas State’s 10. The offensive line allowed a season-low two pressures in the win over Kansas.

When pressure has gotten there, Leavitt has shown solid composure. PFF has Leavitt graded as the third-best FBS quarterback under pressure (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks) with a 76.0 score.

He was recognized as the Big 12 newcomer of the week for his performance.

ASU hosts Utah on Friday at 7:30 MST at Mountain America Stadium. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 AM, 98.7 FM-HD 2 or online.