Miami’s Malachi Toney Sends LOUD Message To Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith About Who Is Nation’s Top WR With Week 1 Dominance
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For those who think that Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is the undisputed No. 1 wide receiver in college football, Miami’s Malachi Toney gave them all a reason to rethink that stance on Friday night.
After what he has done during his first two seasons for the Buckeyes, it is understandable why the universal belief around college football is that Smith is the best WR in the nation. In his freshman season for Ohio State two years ago, he reeled in 76 catches for 1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns, and averaged over 17 yards per catch. He was a major reason why the program rumbled to a national championship in 2024.
Last year, injuries hampered him during the season, but in three fewer games, he still racked up 1,243 receiving yards on 87 catches, with 12 TDs and a 14.3 YPC average. Those numbers, along with having a prototypical receiver body at 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, are why many think he isn’t just the best pass-catcher in college football, but the best overall player in the country. There is even chatter that he should be the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL Draft.
The conversation about the best WR in college football right now seems to be over. Or maybe not. In his freshman season for the Hurricanes, Toney was pretty spectacular last year. The Florida native had 109 catches for 1,211 receiving yards, 10 TDs, and an 11.1 YPC average in 2025. Toney also posted 10 catches, 122 yards, and a TD in their highly competitive championship game loss to Indiana.
Malachi Toney dominates in Miami’s Week 1 win versus Stanford
Maybe his numbers weren’t quite as good as Smith’s in his debut season, but they were pretty close. Then, when you factor in that he is only 5-foot-10 and under 200 pounds, it makes them even more impressive. Well, if there are those who feel there is no debate about who is the No. 1 WR in the nation in 2026, Toney sent a huge message in Miami’s Week 1 win over Stanford.
Over the course of Miami’s dominant 45-6 victory on Friday night, Toney was plain unstoppable. At halftime, the receiver already had 10 catches for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He would end the night with 12 receptions for 234 yards and 3 TDs. Having transfer Darian Mensah as his new QB certainly helped. But when you watch the highlights, Toney was getting wide open all night.
Against Stanford, Toney broke a school record for receiving yards in a single game, surpassing Eddie Brown’s 220 yards set in 1984, and he tied the single-game mark for touchdown catches. That is unbelievable for a school that has produced some talented receivers, including Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin.
Is Smith a better NFL prospect than Toney? Yes. But is he the better receiver in college football? That is still to be determined.
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