Notre Dame’s approach to the Transfer Portal remained largely unchanged heading into 2026. The Irish signed one of the top high school recruiting classes in the country in December, then turned to the portal to address specific roster needs.
The lone difference this cycle was the ability to take undergraduate transfers, which opened the door to adding depth at select positions.
It starts with former Ohio State receiver Mylan Graham.
Did Notre Dame need another field receiver with Jordan Faison returning and Elijah Burress ascending? Probably not. It wasn’t an obvious need on paper.
It was a smart decision.
Faison is one sprained ankle away from turning a strength into a concern and Graham’s addition gives Notre Dame flexibility. It allows Faison to slide inside to the slot at times and helps the Irish get more talent on the field without sacrificing depth.
What does Graham bring to the Notre Dame offense?
According to his longtime receiver coach, Dre Muhammad, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Fort Wayne native brings legitimate big-play potential.
“He has really good route-running ability,” stated Muhammad. “I think that's a skill that he's acquired over time. He can run routes with the best of them. He catches the ball really well. I think that the biggest value to his game is his ability after the catch. You kind of see the quick twitch and the ability to make somebody miss.”
Graham didn’t put up eye-popping numbers at Ohio State, but context matters. He spent two seasons playing behind Carnell Tate. Rather than stall his development, Muhammad believes that experience accelerated it.
“He’s improved his strength,” Muhammad said. “He understands what it takes or what it does take to really give all that you can. He knows how to focus on the main thing. I think strength and just his focus on really fine-tuning himself on this level as compared to just the high school level is where he’s improved over the last two years.”
When Graham entered the portal, Notre Dame wasn’t initially on his list of potential destinations. That changed once the Irish confirmed they could get him admitted.
From there, Marcus Freeman, Mike Denbrock and Mike Brown made a push, and Graham quickly saw the appeal of South Bend.
“It came down to just a fresh start,” Muhammad said of Graham’s decision. “And being able to create a new impression in a different environment that was still a championship level environemnt.”
Freeman’s connection with Graham may have been the difference as the former five-star prospect also took a visit to Auburn in addition to being courted back to Columbus.
“When you think about Freeman, he has the ability to care and express care well beyond the game,” explained Muhammad. “I think that was one of the things that made Mylan very comfortable. He really does care beyond football.
“Mylan, at this point, really values those who value him outside of football, so I think that was a key point.”
Graham also saw the benefits of playing in Denbrock’s offense. In fact, Denbrock recently had a ton of success with a 6-foot, 200-pound receiver named Malik Nabers.
Nabers turned in two incredible seasons under Denbrock at LSU, including his 2023 campaign with 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“I also think that Coach Denbrock’s success historically was important,” Muhammad stated. “Malik Nabers stood out tremendously and I think Denbrock knowing Mylan can provide some of that level of productivity and style to the offense matches really well. I think that those two hit it off really well.”
Graham even spoke with Nabers on the phone during his Notre Dame visit. The former LSU receiver didn’t sell Graham on Notre Dame, but rather answered questions on what it’s like to play for Denbrock and in his offense.
“He did end up talking to Malik and it was solely about the offense that he was in,” explained Muhammad. “That added tremendous value. I think Notre Dame provided an opportunity for him to come in and not only compete but to be utilized.”
Muhammad is also familiar with receivers coach Mike Brown’s track record, dating back to his time at Cincinnati with Alec Pierce, Tyler Scott and Tre Tucker.
“For me, as someone who's helping these players through the process, it’s refreshing and exciting to see that the coach they may potentially play for has had success,” Muhammad stated. “That makes it easy for me to accept the decision that’s being made.
“I don’t have to stay up and wonder if he would have played for this guy or that guy, he might have had a better chance. Brown’s done a phenomenal job of helping the players he’s coached have sustainable careers at the next level.”
In Muhammad’s view, the overall situation at Notre Dame is ideal.
“The Notre Dame situation from Coach Brown to Coach Denbrock to Coach Freeman to CJ Carr, everything just spells out success as long as Mylan takes care of his business, which I know he will,” said Muhammad.
Muhammad has long trained athletes in Fort Wayne and has a track record few can match in terms of producing elite Power 4 football players.
Notre Dame safety Tae Johnson came through Muhammad’s program at Traction AP and is close friends with Graham.
In fact, the Notre Dame visit might not have even happened if Johnson hadn’t personally picked up Graham and driven him to South Bend.
“Tae did a really good job of helping Mylan see the benefit of going to Notre Dame,” Muhammad said. “They have such a close relationship and it was easy for Mylan to make the decision.
“He's going to provide something for Notre Dame. Notre Dame will provide something for him. That's going to be mutually beneficial.”
Traction AP has sent several players through Notre Dame over the years, including Jaylon Smith, Tyler Eifert and Ben Skowronek, with many others visiting campus. That history has given Muhammad a unique view of the program’s evolution under Freeman.
“Coach Freeman is very personable,” said Muhammad. “I think because he's personable, it makes it easier for somebody in my position and more importantly, from a player standpoint, to deal with the reality of college football.
“Those hard conversations and hard coaching can be had because you know there is genuine care. I can't speak much about (Brian) Kelly because I've experienced him one time. I would prefer to speak heavily on it if I were a father and my son were considering schools. Marcus Freeman is one of those coaches, it would be really easy to say you can play for him.
“No matter how difficult it becomes, Freeman is a coach who can lead men. He’s passionate and he cares. He communicates well, from what I’ve seen and heard. Just looking at Tae, and seeing how he’s been handled by him and how sensitive he's been handled. Marcus Freeman is definitely in a different tier than a lot of coaches.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Under Armour Notre Dame Fighting Irish Leprechaun Aura Polo
