Freshman running back Javian Mallory becoming key part of No. 1 Hurricanes’ offense

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CORAL GABLES — Javian Mallory grew up watching Miami play Florida State. On Saturday, he got his chance to become part of the storied rivalry.

The West Boca Raton High alumnus and UM freshman, playing in the rivalry matchup for the first time, led the now-No. 1 Hurricanes with 108 rushing yards and scored a pair of game-tying touchdowns in the double-overtime thriller.

“Growing up, I watched that game,” Mallory said after the win. “That was my favorite game to watch each and every year. So finally being able to play in it as a Miami Hurricane and beating the Seminoles is a dream come true.”

On Monday, Mallory was named the ACC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. He earned a 77.8 rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, which was 12th nationally among running backs with 10 or more carries and second among true freshmen.

Mallory, who was the South Florida Sun Sentinel 2025 Palm Beach County large schools offensive player of the year after leading West Boca Raton High to back-to-back state titles, said he believed he could play quickly.

“If y’all go back, there’s an interview asking me what am I going to bring to the table my first year,” Mallory said. “And I said I’m going be an instant impact as soon as I get here. Of course, it took me some time to get here, but I give God all the glory.”

Mallory’s first touchdown on Saturday was a 3-yard run to tie the game in the middle of the fourth quarter. His second touchdown was a 25-yard run. He ran into the end zone untouched to send the game to double overtime.

“Honestly, I knew it was a touchdown pre-snap,” Mallory said. “I knew I was going to be one-on-one with number 11; if I beat him, it was a touchdown. Shout out to my O-line, (tight end) Elija Lofton for making an incredible block. Without (those) boys, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Mallory arrived on UM’s campus in time to practice during last season’s playoff run, and Miami coach Mario Cristobal said it did not take long for the staff to realize he could be a big part of the offense.

“Right away, you could tell he’s a downhill guy that plays a lot of power, a lot of juice. (Accelerations) and (decelerations) are off the charts. And he worked hard at changing his body and continues to do so. Really trimmed himself down, got leaner, better balance and body control, more explosive. And he’s got great mentorship in that room with Mark Fletcher (Jr.) and Marty Brown and really Jordan Lyle, as well.

“So, all in all, a guy that (is) really happy he’s here as a Miami Hurricane. It means a lot to him to be a Miami Hurricane. And his moment came on Saturday. He came through.”

After Saturday’s game, Mallory leads Miami with 397 rushing yards and is averaging 7.6 yards per carry. He has five touchdowns. Mallory is one of the few freshman running backs getting a significant amount of carries; only 11 freshmen running backs have 50 or more carries like he does. Mallory’s 84.4 rushing grade is second among that group, trailing only Notre Dame’s Jonaz Walton.

The Hurricanes have gotten strong performances from freshman running backs the past several years. Fletcher did well as Miami’s No. 2 running back in 2023, and Lyle provided a strong third option in 2024. Girard Pringle Jr. was a key part of the Hurricanes offense late in the season last year.

Among that group, Fletcher had the most yards as a true freshman (514). Mallory is only 117 yards away from matching that with half of the regular season left to play.

“I think that a lot of times people say, ‘Well, Miami recruits well.’ Miami develops as good or better than anybody else in the country,” Cristobal said.

“And it starts with the type of players you bring in. They have to have the mindset to understand clearly they’re going to get pushed and challenged in the right kind of way (to) maximize their potential, their ability and whatnot. And these guys … they’ve invested the time. They have a great supporting cast. They have very dedicated, committed coaches that really invest a lot in protection, in the run game, the play-action game, the screen game, things that allow our guys to be in position to make plays.

“And when the opportunities come, they’ve taken that God-given ability and made it happen.”

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