COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State commit Mylan Graham’s life as a football prospect has been the epitome of how much someone’s life can change in a year.
Last summer the wide receiver showed up in Columbus for the Buckeyes’ first June day camp as a completely unknown commodity. He didn’t have any offers, barely any schools knew who he was and most recruiting websites didn’t even have a profile for him. Then the winner-loser competition portion of the camp started and the no-name recruit began his ascent up the rankings.
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That first day camp was loaded with storylines with now-early enroll cornerback Jermaine Matthews being its headliner. But what Graham did that afternoon wasn’t lost on anyone. It’s why Brian Hartline was the first coach to make him a target with an offer that set the tone for how the rest of the summer would go as one by one all of the major programs threw their hat in the ring for him.
That was last year. Things are a little different this time around.
“It’s crazy how I’ve made this transition over the last year,” Graham told cleveland.com. “I’ve gone from having no offers and a no-name type of guy to easily being one of the best receivers in the country. It feels great.”
When he arrived for OSU’s second 2023 day camp he still did so without much notice publicly, but he was showing up as the nation’s No. 17 player and No. 4 wide receiver. Everybody knows who he is now and he was among the most important people on the field on Monday.
His public profile has done a complete 180 the past year, but his lowkey persona has stayed the same. It’s why he didn’t make a big deal about him coming ahead of time. This wasn’t a trip being made so that he could have another cool thing to post on social media. This was a business trip.
“I wanted to come down and get to work with Coach Hartline one on one on some drills ‚” Graham told cleveland.com. “I haven’t been able to get down here at all recently.”
Graham was supposed to take his official visit over the weekend accompanying numerous other commits and targets, including fellow five-star wide receiver commit Jeremiah Smith. He’ll instead have to reschedule that visit for a much later date because his schedule isn’t getting less busy anytime soon.
Up next is a week in Los Angeles providing a chance for the world to get a preview of what the duo will bring to Columbus when they team up on the 7-on-7 team South Florida Express.
“It’ll be interesting to see how I play with other talented guys around me,” Graham said. “I can get some chemistry with Jeremiah.”
Most see Smith as a program-changing talent. But Graham is a special talent in his own right. There are some similarities to what Garrett Wilson was as a Buckeye given his route-running prowess and how explosive he could be with the ball in his hands.
“I have the ability to play inside and outside,” Graham said. “I get in and out of breaks quickly. I have good footwork. When I get the ball in my hands I can make things go. I have a good catch radius and can attack the ball.”
That talent level is what’s become the norm at Ohio State, which is why he was so eager to join it. His and Smith’s presence are the results of Ohio State’s three wide receivers to go pro — four depending on who you ask. Hartline’s proven himself on the recruiting trail as well, but at this point, the product is practically selling itself.
The first group of guys was tasked with the challenge of setting a standard. Everybody behind them is just signing up for a spot in line to be next.
“The recruiting comes naturally when you develop so many guys as NFL first-rounders year after year and the best ones to even in the NFL yet,” Graham said. “It comes down to his development. What he puts into his players and puts them in the league.”
Graham is coming to a room that is about to have open season on its starting spots. There’s a good chance the top four guys in the hierarchy are gone. There will be second- and third-year players looking to also lock down those spots, but Graham sees no reason why he can’t easily throw his name into consideration as well.
That’s what makes this impromptu trip to Columbus so relevant as with any other trips he makes between now and when he actually enrolls. He lives in Indiana, meaning it’s an easy trip for him to make to help lessen that freshman curve.
In June 2022, Graham came to Columbus looking to make a name for himself. A year later he’s back as a prominent figure in high school football looking to once again turn heads at Ohio State.
“I can come in and get a spot within the first year,” Graham said. “I can come compete and earn a spot in the depth chart.”
To see Ohio State’s full 2024 recruiting class, click here.
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