The Miami Hurricanes have been the best team in college football this season, starting 8-0 and debuting at No. 1 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. But the Hurricanes are now heading into their biggest game of the year without their best offensive player.
Star wide receiver Malachi Toney suffered an ankle injury at practice on Wednesday, and it has since been revealed that he will need surgery to repair the injury. He’s reportedly set to miss Saturday’s top-15 showdown against Notre Dame, though there’s hope that he could return in time for the College Football Playoff.
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Miami’s Wednesday practice was supposed to be just another day of preparation for Notre Dame. Instead, the Hurricanes’ star wideout went down, putting his status for the game in serious doubt.
According to On3’s Brett McMurphy, Toney rolled his ankle after getting caught up in a play with a cornerback. Miami confirmed the injury in a statement shortly after.
“Malachi Toney sustained an injury during Wednesday’s practice and is currently undergoing further evaluation by the team’s medical staff,” Miami said in a statement, via On3. “We will share additional updates as appropriate.”
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Needless to say, losing Toney would be a massive blow for the Hurricanes. The sophomore has 73 catches, the most among Power 4 receivers, for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He’s also been one of the faces of the Heisman Trophy race alongside his quarterback, Darian Mensah.
Toney was just as productive as a freshman last season, leading the FBS with 109 catches and setting a Miami single-season record with 1,211 receiving yards as the Hurricanes reached the national championship game. His breakout performance came in the 2025 season opener against Notre Dame, when he caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 win.
Unfortunately for Miami, the news only got worse as the day went on. After further testing, McMurphy reported that Toney will undergo surgery on Thursday and will be out indefinitely, with the best-case scenario being a return later this season.
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“Sources: Malachi Toney has a high ankle sprain and will have surgery, which will allow him to return for the College Football Playoff,” wrote ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Thamel added that the timeline for this type of injury is typically at least four weeks. With six weeks to go until the first round of the College Football Playoff, that would give Toney a chance to be back on the field for Miami’s postseason run.
CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz offered a similarly encouraging update.
“After undergoing further testing, Miami star wide receiver Malachi Toney is currently expected to undergo surgery due to the ankle injury he suffered today during practice, sources tell @CBSSports. The current belief is that it’s not a season-ending injury, per sources,” Zenitz wrote.
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“The full expectation at this point is that WR Malachi Toney will be back for the postseason, me and @mzenitz have learned,” added Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports.
Clearly, Saturday’s game in South Bend just got a lot tougher for Miami. The No. 11 Fighting Irish (7-1) are now a 7.5-point favorite over the Hurricanes, and Miami will have to find a way to move the ball without its most dangerous weapon.
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