‘An early guy’: True freshman Toney continues to make impact for Hurricanes
Malachi Toney has made quite the impression through his first five games as a University of Miami wide receiver.
But it isn’t his hands, his route running or his speed that draw the most praise from his teammates and coaches.
It’s his work ethic.
Toney is often up at 5 a.m. and ready to improve his game.
He saw that work ethic from multiple members of his family growing up.
His mother works for the post office.
His uncle works for UPS.
“Getting up early and staying late, that comes from watching my mom, if she can do that, why can’t I?,” Toney said.
Toney’s driven approach is what continues to keep him ahead of the curve when it comes to true freshmen in college football.
On Saturday night, he delivered another memorable performance, topping career marks for catches, yards and touchdowns to help No. 3 Miami beat No. 18 Florida State 28-22 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Toney caught seven passes for 107 yards and his two touchdown receptions marked his first career multi-touchdown game.
His 29 catches and 375 receiving yards lead the Hurricanes through their first five games. And Toney has been consistent, catching at least four passes in each of those games and six or more in four of them.
Toney became the fifth Miami Hurricane since 1995 to amass 100 or more receiving yards and two touchdowns against Florida State, joining Jacolby George (2023), Andre Johnson (2001), Santana Moss (1999) and Yatil Green (1996).
“If everybody did what Malachi does, their performance level would go through the roof,” UM coach Mario Cristobal said. “He’s an early, early guy. He tries correcting (mistakes) before he even gets to the sideline. This means the world to him and his teammates mean the world to him.”
Toney’s two touchdown scores came at crucial junctures in the game.
The first was set up by a clutch interception by another true freshman in safety Bryce Fitzgerald’s interception return to the FSU 44.
Miami called a flea-flicker and quarterback Carson Beck found Toney open for a 44-yard touchdown pass that put the Hurricanes ahead 14-3 with 11:25 left in the second quarter.
With 9:09 left in the third, the Hurricanes gambled on 4th and 2 from the Seminoles’ 40 with the hopes of breaking the game open.
It paid off when Toney caught a pass over the middle from Beck and showcased his shiftiness and speed, racing to the end zone to put Miami ahead 21-3.
Toney would have had a third touchdown catch with 4:20 left in the second quarter after hauling in a short pass from Beck and racing 52 yards to the end zone. But the score was nullified due to an illegal motion penalty on Keelan Marion.
“I just try to stay humble and stay consistent, stay level-headed,” Toney said.
Toney’s clutch play is nothing new to those who have followed him in recent years during a stellar career at Plantation American Heritage.
As a freshman, Toney faced one of the toughest situations of his football life when a costly fumble in the closing seconds of the state championship game against Miami Central resulted in a heartbreaking defeat.
But Toney showed his resilience, and two years later, led Heritage to that elusive state title.
The remarkable part was Toney doing so as a quarterback instead of as a wide receiver after Heritage’s then-starter Dia Bell suffered a season-ending injury.
Toney stepped in and started the Patriots’ final three playoff games and led them to victories including the state final in which he completed his first 15 passes.
Having played quarterback during his youth football days, Beck and Toney both said after Saturday’s game they thought his experience playing that position is part of the reason his developmental track is ahead of schedule for someone who recently turned 18.
“I’ve said this from the jump, there’s something different about the kid,” Beck said. “We talk routes, we talk coverages. He’s such a smart kid too. I believe that a guy who’s played quarterback before understands so much better. He’s uber-talented, but he puts in the work and it results in all the success he’s had this year.”
