Spring Game excellence can be deceiving, but all signs point to the second-year wide receiver starting to blossom.
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Wide receiver Mylan Graham arrived at Ohio State in the summer of 2024, and has quickly built a reputation as a player who will excel at the collegiate level. The sophomore out of New Haven, Indiana didn’t catch a pass last season, but he didn’t have to. The Buckeyes have been loaded at the position, allowing Graham to learn the offense and settle into college life and Mickey Marotti’s weight-training program.
Had Graham been able to enroll early and participate in spring practice in 2024, he might have made a slightly bigger impact, but with Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss on the squad, Ryan Day had the luxury of slow-playing the freshman in 2024.
A five-star prospect, Graham was ranked as high as the No. 14 overall player and No. 5 wide receiver in last year’s class. He built his reputation with more than 2,000 career receiving yards and 21 touchdowns as a prep player, including 1,149 yards receiving in his junior year to go along with 13 touchdowns on 48 receptions. He averaged more than 80 receiving yards per game his final season.
His 2023 highlight reel shows all the tools, including his speed and ability in the open field.
Graham has the attention of his current and former teammates, and considering the Buckeyes are coming off a national championship, that’s a good indicator that he’s got a bright future. Another positive sign was his performance in the 2025 Ohio State Spring Game, in which Graham caught four passes for 104 yards.
That included a sensational 51-yard touchdown catch and run thrown by Lincoln Kienholz, showing off Graham’s playmaking ability. Only a couple of excellent defensive plays kept Graham from having an even bigger performance on April 12 against his fellow Buckeyes.
Players like NFL-bound former Buckeye cornerback Denzel Burke have been talking about the young receiver as though it’s a matter of when, not if, Graham will become another Zone 6 star under Brian Hartline’s tutelage.
“He could be a great player. He’s quick, good hands, good catch radius, good releases,” Burke said after battling him in practice daily. “I’m excited for him and his future.”
Denzel Burke on redshirt freshman WR Mylan Graham pic.twitter.com/QXZ4WRNA6W
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) February 27, 2025
With his first full offseason now under his belt, Graham will enter preseason camp with an opportunity to make his case for snaps in 2025. He will push those ahead of him to be better and could find himself spelling the likes of Tate and Inniss with the first team.
His confidence level will be high after his performance in the Spring Game, and by now he’ll have learned a lot about pre-snap and post-snap reads — often the biggest adjustment receivers have to make between high school and college — from Hartline, Day, and the more veteran receivers on the team.
Graham has the talent and tools to get meaningful snaps in 2025, but even if those entering the fall ahead of him on the depth chart don’t falter, he’ll be one of the first options off the bench.
In a position group where everyone is a player to watch, I’m eager to see how Graham’s career blossoms.