3 games Miami WR Malachi Toney could cement his Heisman Trophy race

3 games Miami WR Malachi Toney could cement his Heisman Trophy race

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

3 games Miami WR Malachi Toney could cement his Heisman Trophy race

3 games Miami WR Malachi Toney could cement his Heisman Trophy race originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

If you haven’t heard about Malachi Toney by now, you are living under a rock. The 18-year-old prodigy out of Liberty City, Florida has taken the college world by storm after his astonishing freshman season. He helped lead Miami Hurricanes to another national championship appearance.

Toney’s week one performance against Stanford on Saturday will never be forgotten, literally, because he set the Miami Hurricanes’ single-game receiving record with 234 yards and a hat trick. Eddie Brown previously set the record in 1984 against Boston College with 220 receiving yards. He finished his 2025 campaign with 1,211 receiving yards, 109 receptions, and 10 touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards at 18 years old.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was asked about Toney on the Pat McAfee Show and gave nothing but praise to his star-studded receiver: “He’s put on 12–14 pounds of muscle man; he can accelerate and decelerate at a higher rate.” Cristobal said. “He is stronger, he is faster, and then the time he puts in it’s never changed, he always tries to push the envelope with that.”

Cristobal’s praise and the stats tell the story of the player Toney is, but three games could close the door on his competition.

Week 7 vs. Florida State

Florida State struggled to stop anything SMU did in week one, but they still managed to force four turnovers against an experienced Mustangs offense. Regardless of what the stats show, rivalry games always hit a little differently. Records and past games on the schedule don’t matter; it comes down to who wants to win more.

Last season when these two teams faced, Miami escaped with a 28-22 victory. The Noles also brought in Karson Hobbs, a cornerback transfer from Notre Dame; Nehemiah Chandler, a corner from South Alabama; CJ Richard Jr, a safety from Illinois State; and Ma’khi Jones, a safety from Duke, to beef up their secondary. Despite Toney having a spectacular showing last year in Tallahassee, this year could be different.

Week 8 vs. Pitt

This prediction may be a severe sleeper, but Pitt went heavy in the portal this offseason and has potential. In the secondary, Pitt returns Shawn Lee Jr., who was statistically the best in the secondary last season. He only allowed 14 catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns throughout the entire season.

In addition to Lee Jr., they added Raion Strader, a corner from Auburn and Kanye Thompson, a corner from Slippery Rock, a Division II school. According to 247Sports, Thompson earned first-team All-PSAC West honors last season and was also listed as an honorable mention All-American. At linebacker, they added a hybrid, Demarco Ward, a transfer from Memphis. He played safety for the Tigers last season but is being moved back to linebacker this season, which could help to shut down someone like Toney.

Last season, Ward had 63 tackles, three for a loss, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. Some new faces on the second and third levels of this defense should make this matchup more interesting.

Week 10 vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

Last season, Notre Dame was the 11th-ranked defense in the nation. They only allowed 17.6 points per game and 213.4 passing yards, less than Toney’s receiving total against Stanford. Notre Dame’s corner flew around and come down hill on the ball. In week one against Wisconsin, their only interception of the game was a pick-six, and they allowed 217 passing yards.

They held the Badgers to just 13 points in their debut, so it will be tough for Miami to just run up the score. Notre Dame showed how they could stop the run and shut down the passing lanes. Toney will have to show off his new and improved agility on the road against a pesky Notre Dame crowd.

Toney would be just the third Hurricane to win a Heisman, the first since Gino Torretta in 1992, and the first receiver in school history. He already knew this was his race to lose when he struck the Heisman pose after his first of three touchdowns against Stanford.

If he can keep the momentum going and avoid the injury bug, he could be hoisting up the trophy in December. 

MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos