How has Miami’s Malachi Toney emerged as a freshman star? It starts behind the scenes
As Malachi Toney ran into the end zone after scoring a touchdown in his collegiate debut, hauling in a 28-yard pass from Carson Beck on a crossing route in the second quarter of the Miami Hurricanes’ upset win against Notre Dame on Aug. 31, his mom soaked in the whole moment from Section 101 of Hard Rock Stadium.
The tears quickly started flowing.
“I was bawling in the stands,” his mom, Toni Toney, told the Miami Herald. “I was bawling because our conversation prior to it was very personal. We have personal conversations with each other leading up into each game, the morning of the game, 4 a.m., 5 a.m. We send our spiritual texts, and the message we shared with each other was very emotional, but it came to pass at that moment in that game, and I saw it. I was just like, ‘Wow.’”
Toney has been wowing Hurricanes fans a lot already. Entering No. 4 Miami’s home game against the Florida Gators on Saturday, he leads the team with 18 catches and 228 receiving yards while also handling punt return duties.
Not bad for a player who just turned 18 on Wednesday and could have still been in high school this season if he wanted.
But Toney, who reclassified to graduate a year early from Plantation American Heritage and kickstart his college career, is wise and talented beyond his years.
Wisdom and raw talent only go so far, though. What separates Toney from others his age is his tireless work ethic, his desire for greatness and his ability to stand tall even as expectations begin to rise.
That has been on full display to start his college career.
“Nothing seems to faze him,” Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “He’s the same person every day. He just comes to work. I think he just really likes football, so I don’t see any change in him from really the first moment he stepped on campus. The game’s definitely not too big for him.”
‘A game-changer’
And Toney lets you know it, too.
Toney is built for the moment. He knows that he’s a difference-maker. He will tell you as much.
“Malachi Toney on the field is a game-changer,” Toney, who recently signed with the sports management and marketing agency NETWORK, said after the Hurricanes’ spring game, months before his eventual college debut. “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 a show.”
He has definitely put on a show so far. Toney, who has started every game so far as Miami’s slot receiver, has six catches in each of his first three games and led the Hurricanes in receiving yards against both Notre Dame (82) and Bethune-Cookman (80). His 82 yards against the Fighting Irish, ranked No. 6 at the time, were the most by a UM freshman against a top-10 team since Ryan Moore had 101 yards in then-No. 2 Miami’s 31-7 loss to then-No. 10 Virginia Tech on Nov. 1, 2003.
His 18 catches are tied with Tennessee’s Braylon Staley for the most among true freshman entering the week. His 228 receiving yards trail only Staley (231) and SMU’s Jalen Cooper (230).
“His speed, athleticism, ability to track the football, control,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said, “I mean it’s exceptional.”
He draws on some of the game’s greats to craft his skill. Toney points to DaVante Adams’ release from the line of scrimmage, Stefon Diggs’ route running, Amon-Ra St. Brown’s ability to generate yards after the catch and Jameson Williams’ swagger.
He has also drawn comparisons to Hurricanes great Kevin Williams.
Cristobal tries to stay away from comparing Toney to any past or present greats because that detracts from who Toney is and what he can become.
“We don’t want the next Kevin Williams — I love K Dubs; he’s a brother to me,” Cristobal said. “We want the first Malachi Toney, and he’s doing a really good job establishing himself as that.”
‘It’s just natural’
Toney has been establishing himself as the potential next big star since his days playing for the Miami Gardens Chiefs in the Florida Youth Football League.
“He always did something,” Toni Toney said. “He took control of the team. That’s when we realized this kid’s football IQ is different. He was 7 or 8 years old and we realized he had a different ability than all the other kids his age on his team.
“As a mom, it’s like ‘Did this kid just do that?’ After some games, I’m like ‘Malachi, how did you do that?’ It’s just natural.”
And it wasn’t just mom’s intuition. A few Hurricanes greats got to see him from a young age as well.
Among them, per his mom: wide receivers Santana Moss and Andre Johnson, both of whom became first-round picks (with Johnson being inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame) and are still featured heavily in the UM record book.
Moss ranks second all-time in UM career receiving yards with 2,546 and held the record for 24 years until Xavier Restrepo broke it last season; Johnson is 13th.
“When you see a child at such a young age be around people of such caliber, they don’t understand the magnitude of it,” Toni Toney said. “But once they get older, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been around him for a while. I’ve known him for a while.’ It’s a great deal for them. And for you to be named in such conversations as Santana Moss now with your route running, and I think he looks at it like, ‘Wow. I’ve known him since I was young.’ And for him to be named in the same category as him, that’s big. And to be where he potentially be God willing, where he’s that in the next couple of years, that’s phenomenal.”
That continued through high school, where he emerged as a star for one of South Florida’s top football programs in American Heritage even while learning a new position.
Toney came up as a quarterback through his youth days but decided to switch to wide receiver once he got to high school. At 5-10 as a freshman, he realized that staying at quarterback long-term probably wasn’t a viable option.
It’s safe to say things worked out. He caught 141 passes for 2,412 yards and 28 touchdowns over his three years at American Heritage and even got to finish his prep career back under center. He served as the team’s emergency quarterback during the back half of their playoff run to a state title last season that served as a bit of a redemption story.
As a freshman, Toney fumbled on American Heritage’s potential game-winning drive in the Class 2M state championship game. Two years later, he led the Patriots to their first state title since 2020 by completing 15 of 18 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown while running for a second in a 40-31 win over Orlando Jones.
“It’s fitting how we ended this thing,” Heritage coach Mike Smith said after the state championship win. “The adversity that kid battled through. He put the ball on the ground on the 28-yard line against Central two years ago and cried like a baby. For him to come back and do this, you can’t make this up. Hollywood couldn’t have written this ending better.”
Added Toney that day: “After that fumble, everyone counted me out and said I wouldn’t be back. Now look at me. I led my team to a state title at quarterback.”
And what led to that success? Smith pointed to Toney’s work behind the scenes.
“Everybody’s looking at it and they’re amazed by the things that he does but I’ve seen the work ethic day in and day out and the time that he puts into this game,” Smith said. “He does not lack for confidence in himself and it’s not an arrogant thing either, he just truly believes that he was meant to do this.”
‘Man, that kid is special’
That mentality has continued since enrolling a year early at Miami, a decision he and his mom made after they realized how quickly his game had developed that that he was “ready for the next level,” Toni Toney said.
His teammates are sometimes at a loss for words when trying to describe Toney’s ability to make as early of an impact as he has.
“Man, that kid is special,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “Obviously, he’s very talented and gifted, but the work that he puts in and his willingness to learn and his maturity for his age is off the charts. ... He’s in the facility day in, day out, from 5 a.m. to whenever everyone’s gone. He’s the first one in, last one out and he’s constantly meeting, constantly trying to get better, constantly picking my brain apart. He’s made me better as a quarterback myself.”
Added sixth-year wide receiver CJ Daniels, considered the leader of Miami’s receiver room: “He’s different. I don’t really know how to explain it, man. He’s just a playmaker. He makes everybody better. He holds me accountable, which is crazy to say with him being a freshman, but he’s a leader on the team. He’s very exceptional as a player on the field and off the field.”
The long days and the short nights are paying off. The meticulous preparation is being rewarded. Teams are now well aware of the Hurricanes’ not-so-secret-anymore weapon.
Toney is fine with that. He’s up for the challenge.
“That’s on them,” Toney said. “I’ve just got to do my job and be the best Malachi Toney for the University of Miami.”
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