Retour
On the eve of the Miami Hurricanes' biggest game of the regular season, their best player is battling an injury that could keep him from facing archrival Notre Dame.
Multiple reports say Malachi Toney, a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, rolled his ankle at practice Wednesday, Nov. 4. While the injury is not expected to be a long-term issue, the timing makes his availability at Notre Dame in three days questionable.
ESPN's Pete Thamel was the first to report the injury. According to a report by On3's Pete Nakos, Toney got caught up with a cornerback at practice, leading to the injury. He was scheduled for more testing Wednesday afternoon and reportedly will attempt to play through it.
The explosive wideout has battled injuries throughout the season, briefly leaving games against Wake Forest on Sept. 18, Clemson on Oct. 3 and Florida State on Oct. 17. He never went back to the locker room, though his limited play late against Wake can be explicitly tied to the offense's stagnation and one of their closest games of the season.
Toney is the engine that drives No. 1 Miami's top-ranked scoring offense. Through eight games, the 19-year-old has already tied the program record with 13 receiving touchdowns this season, a number that puts him one behind Oregon State's Jesse Legree for the most in the nation. His 73 catches are also one behind the nation's leader (FAU's Easton Messer), and he is one of three players in the country with 1,000 yards this year (he's third with 1,027).
The numbers have him among the leaders in the Heisman race. He has been in a three-man race all season with Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith and his own quarterback, Darian Mensah. As of 4 p.m. Nov. 4, Mensah and Smith were tied for the best odds according to BetMGM, with Toney having fallen to fourth behind Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr.
Toney's first college game came last year against the Fighting Irish, bringing in six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in Miami's 27-24 win. Notre Dame seeks to avenge that loss, which kept them from the College Football Playoff, this weekend in South Bend.