Malachi Toney keeps finding ways to turn a routine deep shot into a full-blown highlight.
In Miami’s first-quarter matchup with Florida State, Darian Mensah dropped a 30-yard pass into Toney’s hands, and the wide receiver absorbed a hit from Ma’Khi Jones almost the instant the ball arrived. Toney still came away with the catch, then popped right back up and made it clear it was a first down, doing it in front of a crowd that included a legion of top recruits at Hard Rock Stadium.
The grab was the kind of play that shows why Toney is so hard to deal with. Even when the coverage and the contact arrive together, he still wins the moment. The sequence finished with a Mark Fletcher touchdown run.
Malachi Toney doing Malachi Toney things 🙌
📺 ESPN x @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/9DD0YTVXxQ
- ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 17, 2026
Toney has made a habit of hurting Florida State. Last season against the Seminoles, he posted seven catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in Miami’s 28-22 win. He already added another touchdown against FSU this time around, a 14-yard score.
He entered Saturday with 39 receptions for 604 yards, which placed him second in the ACC behind Wake Forest’s Carlos Hernandez. His six touchdown catches were tied for the conference lead. And he’s doing it inside a Hurricanes offense that has plenty of options and a quarterback in Mensah who likes to spread the ball around.
Still, when Miami needs something explosive, Toney is the target. Mensah may operate like a point guard, but Toney is the receiver who keeps getting the biggest moments. In a program that has produced names like Michael Irvin, Andre Johnson, Santana Moss, and Reggie Wayne, Toney is building a case to join that company.
He’s already closing in on numbers that have piled up in less than two seasons. Against Florida State, he looks even more dangerous.
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Miami Just Introduced A Jersey Change Fans Will Want Explained
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What remains unclear is whether the patch is just a temporary fix or the start of something more formal. The womens volleyball team did not have it on recent away jerseys, which only adds to the uncertainty around how widely Miami plans to use the look and what, exactly, the patch is meant to signal going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Heads To No. 1 Miami With One Huge Question Looming
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Pittsburghs season has been shaped in part by injuries to its star quarterback, a factor that has affected the Panthers consistency and helped lead to a recent loss at Boston College. For Miami, the challenge is as much about staying sharp as it is about handling a physical opponent, since the Hurricanes have moved into a stretch where every conference game comes with extra scrutiny and the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have Turned Rivalry Win Into A Huge Recruiting Boost
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Brysen Wright and Asher Ghioto, both members of the 2028 class and among the top-ranked players in Florida, were among the visitors with Miami already drawing buzz in their direction. Wright, who has stood out at Mandarin High School, could even end up moving up a class, which only adds to the intrigue for the Hurricanes as they try to turn a marquee win into momentum on the recruiting trail. [Read more 🡒]