Notre Dame football is amidst a bit of a frustrating portion of the transfer portal cycle right now, but most are hoping that the luck changes somewhat soon. Wide receiver is one of the most important areas of need for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish, although several targets are already off the board. There is still, however, talent to be had. 

That includes former Ohio State wide receiver Mylan Graham, who will head into the 2026 college football season with three years of eligibility remaining. Once considered an elite high school recruit, the Indiana native was someone that the Irish staff was very high on back in the 2024 recruiting class. The fit at that time just didn’t seem to work, and eventually the talented pass catcher opted for the Buckeyes. 

The Fighting Irish now get a second chance at the dynamic passing game weapon. It appears those odds could be much better this time around.

Notre Dame’s push for Mylan Graham 

It was Matt Freeman of Irish Sports Daily who first reported that Notre Dame had made contact with Graham, and I can verify that is true. I was told previously that there was expected to be some interest in him, but there seems to be considerably more than just “some”. There are other programs, such as Louisville and Auburn are also very interested, but I am told that the Fighting Irish are in a good spot and are working to get Graham on campus.

The biggest potential hurdle for Notre Dame might be from Graham’s previous school, Ohio State. Their staff is still working to retain Graham, especially after also losing Quincy Porter to the portal as well. Without Brian Hartline a part of the program, that retention could prove difficult, but as we have all learned about the portal, money talks.

The first step is for Notre Dame to get Graham on campus. If they do, then we can have an honest conversation about where things stand. The vibes are, however, solid to kick off this second chance to recruit Graham.

Mylan Graham’s career background 

Graham was considered to be a four-star and Top-100 player by each of the major recruiting platforms coming out in the 2024 class. The New Haven (Ind.) High School star ended up ranked as a five-star, including the No. 33 overall player, the No. 7 wide receiver, and the No. player in the state of Indiana on the 247 Sports Composite ranking. 

The 6-1, 195-pound pass catcher had an elite offer list coming out as well. Some of the top programs that pursued the Indiana native included the Fighting Irish, the Buckeyes, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Florida, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, Miami, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Washington, Wisconsin, Colorado, Pitt, Illinois, Cincinnati, and Purdue, among others. 

While the talent is certainly there, Graham didn’t get a ton of opportunities during his Buckeye career. That is mostly due to playing with a deep group of talented wide receivers, including Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Innis, among others. In his career, Graham ended with six receptions for 93 yards, all coming during this past season.