College Football: Malachi Toney's Ankle Injury Raises Doubts for Miami-Notre Dame Matchup
The top Heisman candidate hurt his ankle in practice, leaving his status uncertain for the No. 1 Hurricanes' weekend trip to Notre Dame.
By Lina Lewis ·
Malachi Toney, the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, suffered an ankle injury during a Wednesday practice session. The incident has created uncertainty regarding his availability for the University of Miami Hurricanes, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff. Miami is scheduled to play No. 4 Notre Dame this weekend.
The Miami athletic department released a statement confirming that Toney is undergoing further evaluation by the team's medical staff. The department noted that it would share updates as appropriate but did not specify whether the wide receiver is expected to play. Toney has managed ankle issues earlier in the season without missing any contests.
Toney first joined Miami as a freshman last year. In his first season, he led the nation with 109 catches and earned All-American honors. This season, he has recorded 73 catches, 13 touchdown receptions, and 1,027 receiving yards. These numbers place him second in the Football Bowl Subdivision for catches, tied for second in touchdowns, and third in receiving yards.
The injury is particularly concerning for Miami because Toney accounts for 35 percent of the team's catches, 39 percent of its receiving yards, and 46 percent of its touchdown receptions. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman described Toney as one of the best players he has seen, highlighting the anticipated matchup between Toney and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.
The upcoming game serves as a rematch of a contest from a year ago that Miami won. That victory secured the Hurricanes the final at-large berth in the College Football Playoff, while Notre Dame was left out. The Irish currently hold the top-ranked defense in the nation despite a 7-1 record.
Toney has not missed a game in his 24 appearances for Miami since enrolling. He currently holds 2,238 career receiving yards, which ranks sixth in school history. He is 18 catches away from matching Xavier Restrepo's all-time record of 200 and three touchdowns short of Michael Irvin's school record of 23.
Toney set a single-game receiving record with 234 yards in the season opener at Stanford. He later broke the single-game reception record with 16 catches against Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes, who are 8-0, will face the Fighting Irish in a contest that has been promoted as a clash of elite offensive and defensive units for months.
