Mylan Graham was looking for a fresh start.
When longtime Brian Hartline accepted the head coaching job at South Florida, Graham reassessed his situation at Ohio State.
At the same time, he had kept a close eye on Notre Dame, where his good friend Tae Johnson had just put together an All-American campaign.
It wasn’t an easy decision. But once Johnson pushed him to visit South Bend, the choice became clear.
“The coaching staff and I sat down, had a conversation, and we felt it was in both of our interests to just part ways,” Graham said of his decision to leave Ohio State. “With Notre Dame, I felt it was home. I knew them in high school. The love Coach (Marcus) Freeman showed me, Coach (Mike) Brown, the strength coach, Coach (Mike) Denbrock, it made the choice for me. And having a close friend like Tae from Fort Wayne helped me, seeing his success as a freshman.”
Johnson did more than offer encouragement — he personally drove Graham to campus to make sure he made the visit.
That’s the kind of relationship the Fort Wayne natives have built since grade school.
Graham has long been familiar with Notre Dame’s developmental track record as well. Training at Traction Sports Performance under Dre Muhammad, he’s witnessed the growth of former Irish standouts like Drue Tranquill, Ben Skowronek and Jaylon Smith.
Now, he and Johnson will have the opportunity to elevate each other daily.
“It'll be fun, man,” stated Graham. “Just seeing what he did as a redshirt freshman last year. I'm just seeing that the coaching staff can put their trust in him and just let him go out there and play football. That was a big part of why I wanted to come here. I know I can just trust the staff and everything.”
Leaving Ohio State meant moving on from one of college football’s most productive quarterbacks, Julian Sayin. That’s always a risk for a receiver.
But Graham is confident in Notre Dame’s direction under CJ Carr, who threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2024.
“That’s a really big part of the decision, the quarterback situation,” explained Graham. “I’ve known CJ since high school, when he recruited me a little bit here. The success he had last year as a redshirt helped a lot.”
The transition to Notre Dame has also brought some changes to Graham’s life. It starts with learning a new locker room and offense, but also the fact that he has to attend class in person.
At Ohio State, the majority of Graham’s classes were online, so finding his groove in attending class was an adjustment.
“The transition has been smooth,” Graham said. “I kind of attacked it with the same mindset I did at Ohio State, just coming to work every day. I don't see much difference there.
“The biggest difference would just be class and just a smaller campus, stuff like that, but nothing too major. You just got to actually go in person, just stuff like that.”
Muhammed believes the push off the field will be good for Graham, even if it takes time to adjust to academics at Notre Dame.
“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.”
He’s also not alone in the move. Former Ohio State receiver Quincy Porter transferred to Notre Dame as well, providing a familiar presence in a new locker room.
“At first I didn’t even know he was going to come,” Graham explained. “He was before me. After I heard I announced he was coming, I kind of reconsidered, but this place seemed home for me.
“Now, with him coming here with me from the same room, it brings some familiarity, so it helps with the transition.”
Known for his speed and polished route running, traits sharpened under Muhammad’s guidance, Graham’s focus this offseason is clear. Become a complete receiver.
“My personal goal, I want to get way stronger,” said Graham. “Just be a more physical receiver with 50-50 balls and contested catches. That's a big part of what I'm working on.”
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