CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami’s most dangerous offensive weapon went down in the week the Hurricanes have circled all season. Receiver Malachi Toney hurt his ankle in practice on Wednesday morning, and by nightfall the question was no longer whether he would play at Notre Dame but how long he would be gone.
The top-ranked Hurricanes (8-0) visit No. 4 Notre Dame (7-1) on Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. Without Toney, they lose a sophomore who ranks second in the country with 73 catches and third with 1,027 receiving yards, and who is a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Miami confirmed only the injury. The athletic department said Toney was undergoing further evaluation by the team’s medical staff and that it would share updates as appropriate. It has not publicly described the injury, any surgery or a timeline.
The details came from anonymous sources. A person with knowledge of the matter told the Associated Press that Toney has a high ankle sprain, is scheduled for surgery and will be sidelined for multiple weeks, according to the AP report. The person said the initial recovery timeline will not be known until after the surgery, and spoke on condition of anonymity because neither Toney nor the school had revealed those details.
The loss is hard to overstate. Toney accounts for 35% of Miami’s catches, 39% of its receiving yards and 46% of its touchdown receptions this season, AP reported. The next closest receiver, Cooper Barkate, has 28 catches for 372 yards and four touchdowns, CBS Sports reported, adding that there is hope inside the program that the injury will not end Toney’s season.
The matchup was meant to feature Toney against Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, who missed the Irish win over Navy with an injury but is expected back on Saturday. Notre Dame also enters the week with the nation’s top-ranked defense. Irish coach Marcus Freeman said earlier this week of Toney, “He’s as good as anyone you’ll see.”
Miami’s offense has carried it all year, including through an unbeaten run that survived a double-overtime scare against Florida State. Quarterback Darian Mensah, another Heisman favorite, must now find ways to attack without his most dynamic target.
There is no bye week to soften the blow. After Notre Dame, Miami hosts Duke on Nov. 14, Virginia Tech on Nov. 21 and Boston College on Nov. 28. Toney has dealt with ankle issues before this season without missing a game, AP reported; this is the first time one has kept him out.
What nobody has said publicly is whether the school will confirm the surgery, and how much of the regular season Toney can realistically expect to miss.
