NFL Teams Line Up for Donovan McMillon at Hula Bowl

Donovan McMillon competed on the field at the Hula Bowl this week, but more importantly, he laid the foundation for his NFL dreams.

McMillon — a 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety from McMurray, Pa. — had the chance to meet with NFL personnel in Orlando and certainly took advantage. According to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network, McMillon met with 12 teams:

San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

A second-team All-ACC selection & a member of the preseason Jim Thorpe award watchlist this fall (top DB), Pitt SAF Donovan McMillon met with a long list of teams at Hula, including the following:

• 49ers
• Commanders
• Steelers
• Eagles
• Vikings
• Lions
• Colts
• Bucs…

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 15, 2025

The Hula Bowl isn’t regarded as highly as the Shrine Bowl or the Senior Bowl, but it was still an opportunity for McMillon to get his name out in NFL circles and put one last performance in on the football field.

It could lead to an invitation to the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis next month, which would go a long way.

McMillon is coming off a senior season in which he earned second-team All-ACC honors, leading the Panthers with 115 tackles (55 solo), a tackle for loss, an interception, eight pass breakups and a forced fumble.

His back-to-back 100 tackle seasons at Pitt were the first since linebacker Scott McKillop in 2007-08.

He finished his Pitt career with 220 tackles (109 solo), two tackles for loss, an interception, nine pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He stepped into the starting lineup in Week 3 of the 2023 season, not looking back.

McMillon initially committed to Florida as a four-star recruit out of Peters Township, choosing the Gators over a handful of some of the top programs in college football. But after two seasons in Gainesville, Fla., he needed a fresh start. And decided to come home.

“I just envisioned coming here to play ball,” Donovan McMillon said last season. “That’s all I wanted. At Florida, I don’t think I got the opportunities I really needed and earned but when I got these opportunities here, that was just a blessing for me to be able to go out every week and go make these plays.

“And watching greats like Damar (Hamlin) and all of those guys, that’s something I dreamed to be like and I’m really happy with the opportunity to be in that spot right now.”

It’s early, but it could work out for McMillon with a successful career in his hometown and NFL Draft selection.