What Keelan Marion hopes to bring Canes. And Toney’s reaction to UM decision
Some Miami Hurricanes wide receiver notes on a Thursday:
▪ One player who has created a lot of buzz this summer: former BYU receiver Keelan Marion, who has emerged as a potential (if not likely) starter.
“I’m a playmaker,” he said during a conversation last week. “I know a lot of people think I’m just a return guy, but a few years ago as a freshman, I was just taking the top off defenses at Connecticut.”
In two years with the Huskies, Marion averaged a lofty 17.6 yards per catch (32 for 563), with five touchdowns. He had long gains on several deep throws.
“I know I can still bring that to the table, but I just haven’t been in the right system to showcase that skill set,” he said. “I think Miami is the best place to showcase that skill set in [Shannon Dawson’s] offense with Carson [Beck] throwing the ball.”
Marion watched UM’s offense steamroll through defenses last year with Cam Ward at the controls, and suspected Dawson would maximize his talent.
“I wanted to play in this offense,” he said. “I can take the top off, I can go deep, I can get in the quick game, and I can get into the backfield and run jet sweeps, run option routes, slants. I’m not afraid to come across the middle. I feel like I bring a lot to the table.”
Marion, 6-0, said he picked Miami because “I felt I could learn the playbook easier here. Similar to some BYU stuff. I felt it was easy to catch on to the playbook pretty quick. I don’t have much time to learn it as a spring transfer. I put my trust in it and feel like I can help here.”
He said he was “childhood friends” with receiver CJ Daniels, who transferred from LSU to UM in the first portal cycle this past offseason. Marion, who joined UM in the post-spring practice portal cycle, said Daniels told him that UM coaches “let you be yourself here.”
That helped convince Marion to commit to UM on his visit.
Marion visited SMU and Arizona State before visiting UM in April but decided not to go anywhere else after spending some time on the Hurricanes’ campus.
“When I came here, they made it feel like home,” he said. “I made my decision here.”
Marion, who is an excellent kickoff returner, had almost identical receiving yards in two years at BYU (562 in 25 games) as he did in two years in Connecticut (563 in 17 games), but his per-catch average dropped from 17.6 with the Huskies to 12.8 at BYU. And his touchdowns plunged from six to one.
“With the ball in his hands, he’s explosive,” UM receivers coach Kevin Beard said. “When you see it in person, the head is turning like, ‘did you see that?’ He can play inside and outside. He’s going to be a big asset to us. He gives us a lot of ability in the return game. He’s one of the top returners in the country. Quick and dynamic.”
An Atlanta native, Marion said his favorite NFL receiver growing up was former Eagles star DeSean Jackson. “He’s a big-time returner. I love what he did in the return and the receiver game having that speed.”
▪ Receiver Ny Carr told 247 that he had a heart procedure when he arrived at UM in early 2024: “The heart procedure kind of shook me up a little bit because it was always in the back of my mind, but I’m good now and playing with confidence.”
Beard said Carr reminds him of Dolphins standout Jaylen Waddle.
▪ Explosive freshman Malachi Toney said it didn’t bother him at all when UM added veteran slot receiver Tony Johnson, via the transfer portal, from Cincinnati. He said UM coaches never explained their thinking to him and no explanation was needed.
“That comes with the game,” Toney said. “There’s talent everywhere you go. That didn’t affect me any way, shape or form. You worry about other people, that’s when you start going backwards.”
Beard said Johnson was added because UM believed it needed more experience in the room. But he said Johnson (who played 77% of his snaps in the slot for Cincinnati last season) and Toney can play outside as well as inside.
“They move me around,” Toney said. “In the spring, I played some outside.”
Does Toney believe he’s ready for a major role?
“Of course,” he said. “The work I put in speaks for itself.”
Is the top slot job the goal? “God willing,” he said.
This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 4:46 PM.
