Malachi Toney is entering the season with one of the biggest stages in college football in front of him, and he’s already made clear where he’s looking for inspiration. The Miami receiver says he’s trying to shape his game after former Ohio State standout Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Speaking on The Journey, Toney said he sees real overlap between their styles.
"I feel like we got a lot of similarities in our game...he's just a dawg."
That’s a strong standard to set for yourself, especially when you’re pointing to a receiver who has already made it to the NFL and, according to the source, helped the Seahawks win a Super Bowl last season before landing a massive contract extension. Toney hasn’t reached that level yet, though he did come close last season.
The Buckeyes have become the gold standard at the position, and the numbers back it up. Ohio State has produced a first-round receiver in each of the last five seasons after Carnell Tate was taken fourth overall in April, and that streak will stretch to six next season once Jeremiah Smith is drafted. For players around the country, that kind of track record is hard to ignore.
Toney is one of the most exciting names in the sport heading into the year, and he’ll be in the middle of a major receiver race of his own. He’s set to battle Jeremiah Smith for the top awards at the position, with Smith the prohibitive favorite for the Biletnikoff and also one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy.
The connection between Miami and Ohio State doesn’t stop at admiration, either. Toney helped knock off the Buckeyes in last season’s Cotton Bowl, ending Ohio State’s push to repeat as national champions. If the two teams meet again in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State will be carrying plenty of motivation to even the score.
That matchup is far from guaranteed, though. Miami has a much easier path to the CFP than Ohio State, which faces one of the toughest schedules in the country. Still, the Buckeyes believe their own receivers will be ready to help drive another winning season.
For now, Toney is taking his cues from one of the best to ever come through Columbus. And given what Ohio State has done at receiver, he’s not the first player to look that way for a blueprint.
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