Miami Hurricanes sophomore Malachi Toney picked up another honor Tuesday after his explosive opening performance against Stanford, when the Atlantic Coast Conference named him its offensive receiver of the week.
The 18-year-old made the award case loud and clear in Miami’s 45-6 win in California. Toney hauled in 12 catches on 13 targets, piled up 234 yards and scored three touchdowns.
That yardage total also wiped out a 42-year-old program mark, as he passed Eddie Brown’s previous Miami single-game receiving record of 220 yards against Boston College on Nov. 23, 1984.
Toney punctuated each of his touchdowns with the Heisman Trophy pose, a fitting bit of theater for a player whose game keeps forcing bigger conversations. His latest outburst didn’t come out of nowhere. Last season, as a 17-year-old reclassified freshman, he led the nation with 109 receptions for 1,211 yards and added 13 total touchdowns: 10 receiving, one rushing and two passing.
The praise around Toney has already reached the top of the Miami lineage. Former Hurricanes star, National Champion, three-time Super Bowl Champion, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin recently said Toney is “ the best receiver ” he’s ever seen.
While Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is widely viewed as the top player in college football, Toney is pushing into that same conversation. He brings production, but also a style that shows up in the dirty work: he blocks willingly and keeps the team’s success above his own numbers.
Miami’s receiver room gives the Hurricanes options, so his target share won’t always be the biggest. Still, the impact figure is hard to miss.
Toney’s rise has been on the preseason radar for months. The Liberty City, Fla. native showed up on a long list of honors and watch lists this summer, including Phil Steele Preseason All-America, the ACC Preseason All-ACC team at wide receiver from AP and SP, and preseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Paul Hornung Award, Walter Camp Award and Biletnikoff Award.
From three-star recruit to one of the sport’s most dangerous playmakers, Toney has already forced his way into the national spotlight. The source material also points to a bigger NFL future, with first-round talk beginning to build ahead of the 2028 NFL Draft.
Beyond the stats, Miami sees him as a leader, too. He’s described as a relentless worker who keeps improving, and his voice is expected to carry serious weight in the locker room.
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The injury list at cornerback is what created the shuffle in the first place, with OJ Frederique, Xavier Lucas and Ja'Boree Antoine all sidelined. Some of those players are expected back later in the season, but for now Miami has to keep finding workable combinations on the back end, and the way it handles that stretch will be worth monitoring once the schedule gets heavier. [Read more 🡒]