Former 5-star WR sparks battle between two major college football programs

Two major college football programs are in an ongoing battle for a former five-star wide receiver.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Mylan Graham (5) runs past Grambling State Tigers defensive back Christen Williams (29) | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College football players have only a few days left to enter the NCAA transfer portal to find a new program to play for in 2026. The two-week window began on Jan. 2 and is set to close on Friday.

More than 4,000 players from every corner of college football have decided to enter the transfer portal following the end of the 2025 regular season. A significant portion of the entries were announced prior to the two-week window, but many players have decided to enter the portal in the days after it opened.

One of these more recent entries into the NCAA transfer portal is former Ohio State wide receiver Mylan Graham. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining at his second school.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder arrived at Ohio State as a part of Ryan Day's 2024 signing class. He was ranked as a top 10 wide receiver in the class, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Indiana and a consensus five-star by all recruiting services. Graham redshirted during the Buckeyes' 2024 national championship run, appearing in the maximum four games to maintain the redshirt.

Graham saw little playing time during the 2025 season, appearing in blowout victories against Grambling, Wisconsin, Purdue and UCLA. He grabbed six receptions for 93 yards in those four appearances.

Graham's high ranking as a high school prospect has generated some interest from teams on the portal. Pete Nakos of On3 reported that two schools are battling to position themselves to land Graham out of the portal on Tuesday.

Oddly, one of the two schools with a fascination for Graham is the same school that he announced his intent to transfer away from.

Ohio State has a hole to fill at wide receiver as Carnell Tate declared for the NFL draft on Jan. 6. Leading wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has one more season of college football before he can go to the draft. Brandon Inniss is also returning to the Buckeyes in 2026 after a season in which he caught 36 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns.

Notre Dame is the other program that has inserted itself in the race to land Graham out of the portal. The Fighting Irish will return leading wide receiver Jordan Faison, who finished 2025 with 49 catches for 640 yards and four touchdown receptions.

However, Notre Dame will need at least one suitable replacement for the departures of Malachi Fields and Will Pauling, both of whom have exhausted their eligibility.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Mylan Graham (5) motions during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 17, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images