No. 1 Miami is bracing to go into Saturday’s showdown with No. 11 Notre Dame without Malachi Toney, but the bigger picture around the star receiver is still encouraging for the Hurricanes.
Sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz that the early expectation is Toney will miss four to six weeks after ankle surgery. Toney hurt his ankle in practice this week with a high-ankle sprain, ending his regular season and putting his status for the postseason in focus.
That timeline gives Miami real reason to believe it could have him back for the stretch that matters most. The Hurricanes could get Toney back in time for the ACC Championship Game, though depending on how the regular season unfolds, Miami may not need to take that risk at all.
If the Hurricanes handle Notre Dame on Saturday night, their path through the final three regular-season games looks manageable. Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College are all left on the schedule, and all three are at home. That could make the conference title game unnecessary as a proving ground for Toney.
Even if the recovery takes closer to six weeks, the College Football Playoff should still be in play. The first round begins Dec. 18, and if Miami earns a top-four seed and a first-round bye, it would not play again until Dec. 30 at the earliest.
Before the injury, Toney was putting together a Heisman-level season. He leads the ACC in receptions with 73, receiving yards with 1,027 and receiving touchdowns with 13. With him sidelined, Miami will need another receiver to absorb that production, and Duke transfer Cooper Barkate is the clearest candidate.
The Hurricanes still have another Heisman contender driving the offense in quarterback Darian Mensah. Saturday’s road trip to face Notre Dame will be his toughest test yet, but he has been nearly spotless so far, throwing 25 touchdowns against just one interception.
Toney’s absence takes some shine off the matchup, but it doesn’t change how big it is. Miami needs breathing room with Toney out for the month of November, and Notre Dame badly needs a statement win after the initial College Football Playoff Rankings put the Fighting Irish at No. 11.
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