Washington duo of WR Jalen McMillan and LT Troy Fautanu declare for NFL draft

Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan and standout left tackle Troy Fautanu both announced their plans to declare for the NFL draft on Wednesday.

The pair join wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk as the players to declare for the draft after the second-ranked Huskies lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night.

There was a thought that McMillan might return for a fifth season with the Huskies after a 2023 campaign that was limited due to injury. McMillan suffered a leg injury during Washington’s Week 3 win at Michigan State and played only sparingly until late in the season. McMillan missed four games and had just a few snaps in four others before getting back into a more regular rotation in the Apple Cup win over Washington State.

McMillan’s big outburst came in the Pac-12 championship game win over Oregon when he had nine catches for 131 yards. McMillan caught touchdowns in both the Sugar Bowl win over Texas and the championship game loss to Michigan. He finished the season with 45 catches for 559 yards and five TDs after having 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine TDs during the 2022 season.

Fautanu was regarded as one of the best offensive tackles in the country and part of the unit that won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country. Fautanu was a third-team AP All-American and first-team all-Pac-12 selection.

Reporting by The Associated Press.