Malachi Toney has already done enough to force his way into the national conversation, but the ACC preseason ballot didn’t reflect that.
The Miami Hurricanes sophomore enters the 2026 college football season after a freshman year that turned heads everywhere: 109 catches, 1,211 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns. That production made him one of the most electric players in the country and put him in early Heisman Trophy and All-American discussions.
Still, when the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason honors ballot surfaced, Toney’s name was nowhere to be found among the candidates for Preseason ACC Player of the Year, according to Alex Donno, the host of Locked On Canes. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah was included, but Toney was not.
The list of candidates instead featured Will Heldt of Clemson, Sammy Brown of Clemson, Duce Robinson of Florida State, Isaac Brown of Louisville, CJ Bailey of NC State, Mason Heintschel of Pitt, Kevin Jennings of SMU, Steve Angeli of Syracuse and Kam Robinson of Virginia.
Donno also noted that the voting was done electronically, which meant there was no option to write in a name that wasn’t already listed.
Toney’s résumé already stacks up with the conference’s best. As a freshman, he was named the ACC’s Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned First Team All-ACC honors.
The last Miami player to win the award was quarterback Cam Ward in 2024, when he completed 305 of 454 passes for 67.2 percent, threw for 4.313 yards and led the ACC with 39 touchdowns in 13 games. Ward was also named an All-American and the ACC Offensive Player of the Year that season.
Even without preseason recognition, Toney is expected to be in the mix for ACC Player of the Year once the regular season unfolds. He may not need another 100-catch season with Miami’s offensive talent around him, but his value should still be huge. He’ll also carry a major leadership role for the Hurricanes.
And after bursting onto the scene, the Liberty City native is likely to see defenses built around taking him away. That should create openings for other Miami playmakers.
By the time his sophomore season is done, Toney could be positioning himself for a first-round selection in the 2029 NFL Draft. The award snub may have made noise, but it doesn’t change the expectations attached to him.
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