30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Malachi Toney has skill to help as a freshman
The Miami Hurricanes kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 31 with a marquee matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes’ roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season.
Today: The No. 27 player on our list, Malachi Toney.
What to know
Position: Wide receiver.
Hometown: Liberty City.
Year: Freshman.
How he got to Miami: 2025 recruiting class (via Plantation American Heritage).
Key stats: 58 catches, 1,008 yards, 12 touchdowns as a high school senior.
In summary: Toney turned heads during spring practices and seems all but certain to be in the wide receiver rotation. He’s shifty, speedy and showcased great hands. He is best fit for the slot, a position where he will compete with Cincinnati transfer Tony Johnson for playing time, but can play on the outside as well. Considering Miami has to replace all of its top five pass catchers from last season (receivers Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Isaiah Horton and Sam Brown plus tight end Elijah Arroyo), they will gladly take production from wherever they can get it.
What they’re saying
“Just put the ball in his hands and just let him do what he do. He’s a team player. He’s gonna do whatever’s best for the University of Miami. And that’s why I feel like it was a great fit for me to stay home and do what’s best for my city, my state, and just to put on and show off.” — Malachi Toney describing himself as a football player
“He’s going to come in and watch some extra films, spend time with some of the veteran players and spend time with the coaches and learn what he has to get better at. You could push him hard. ... He knows he has a ways to go, but he’s had a great start to spring, and we are going to push him really hard this summer to make sure we maximize his potential.” — Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal
The rest of the rankings so far
No. 28: Defensive back Ethan O’Connor
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
.JPG)